


Bolted

by DeamonQueen



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Humor, Inspired by Tangled (2010), Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-19
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-07-25 10:30:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 30,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7529239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeamonQueen/pseuds/DeamonQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gajeel dreams of going to see the Dragon Festival where a real dragon was said to show itself. But with an overprotective father, who had put a powerful rune spell around the tower preventing him from ever leaving, his dream seem impossible to achieve. Then enters Levy, who is able to break through the rune spell and enter Gajeel's tower. So Gajeel forces her to help him out. Gale.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: FT not mine! It belongs to Hiro Mashima, I'm just playing with it.
> 
> DeAmonQuEen: Hi guys this is one of my FT fanfics, this story's a twisted parody of the movie Tangled with many twists and alternations. I know that a fic about it has already been made and was also in this pairing but I am not stealing this from that fanfiction story, in fact I made a lot of changes in this fic. I made Gajeel take Repunzel's place in the story and Levy as Eugine but the entire story is set in the FT setting, so expect Fairy tail guild to be in it. Like I said I twisted the tale a bit but it will all happen in the same way as was in the 'Tangled' tale but just a lot different. So enjoy the fic as I had enjoyed writing it!

**( - )**

**Normal Narative:**

In the middle of the dark forest an invisible rune wall stood, hiding from the world a very tall tower. Inside this tower lived a creepy nearly bald man and a four year old raven haired boy with crimson red eyes. The man was busy teaching the boy how to harness magic from inside. In the middle of the lesson the man then order the boy to use the young child's magic on him. The boy did as he was told and approached the man he focused his magic on the man and a bright blue glow surrounded the room, the man suddenly turned at least twenty years younger and had more hair. _(_ _ **A/N:**_ _Gihee, I can't help making fun of Jose's appearance.)_

"Very nice, Gajeel-kun, you are starting to get better at controlling your magic. Now you can give me back at least twenty five years of my time," he told the boy as he affectionately patted the child's head.

"Thanks dad. Next time I'll be able to give you thirty, no fifty years back of your life!" the boy said enthusiastically.

"I sure hopes so, boy," he said smiling kindly.

There a comfortable silence that went between the two until the boy spoke again. "Hey, dad?"

"Yes, son?"

"When can I leave this place?" he asked timidly.

"And why would you want to leave?!" the man asked also raising his voice in the process.

The boy cringed, but immediately gave reason to his question. "I just wanted to see the world and what it's like outside the tower and beyond the wall. I don't mean to leave you forever. Please don't get mad at me," the boy said little beads of tears started to form on his eyes.

The man saw the sencerity to the child's words and immediately apologized. "Gajeel-kun, I am sorry for yelling at you. I was just surprised that you brought such a thing up. I mean, I have already told you what the world outside this tower and wall is like. It is dark and filled with cruel and evil people, most are mages who want nothing than to increase their power. And you my boy have the ability to do just that. They will try to lie and steal you away from me and force you to do evil things. That is why I built this tower and created the wall to protect you from such evil."

The boy stared at his father with great admiration and immediately said, "Then I will try to grow stronger so I can protect you too, father!"

The old man chuckled and patted the boy's head gentle. "You are already protecting me son by learning to control your magic and staying by my side," he said another warm smile gracing his face which the boy answered with a hug.

"I love you dad."

"And I love you more, son."

The four year old Gajeel indeed loved his father and he wanted to make the man happy even though that meant keeping his dream of leaving the tower and attending a certain festival a secret. Yeah his dream was something very simple but for some reason the red eyed child was really dedicated to it ever since he read about it on his father's books. The Dragon Festival that is only celebrated once every year on the same day as his birthday.

For some unknown reason, he felt a special connection to the festival. Maybe because he had dragonslaying magic or the fact that real dragons show themselves during the festival. He never was sure but he still wanted to believe that the festival itself was connected to him somehow and that it was something that he should take part in, despite what his father may say. It was his dream, and one that he someday will achieve.

**( - )**

Gajeel made another swing with his iron sword at his opponent's direction, which was easily blocked and countered by a kick in the gut. He took a couple of steps back before swinging his arm-turned-sword again. More swings and sword clashes ensued but still no winner was decided.

"Gihee, you're getting slow, Lil'," the raven haired man said as he evaded an attack.

"I'm merely getting started, boy!" the man sized cat yelled back and at the same time swung his giant sword at the other man, just missing merely inches from the other's neck.

"Woah, that was close, cat!" he said, "And quit calling me boy! I'm already eighteen!"

"Not until tomorrow. But even if you turn fifty, I'd still call you boy, boy!"

"Stupid cat! Take this, **Iron Dragonlogs**!" The sword shaped hand had turned into an iron pole and hit man cat in the face flinging him to the wall of the tower.

"Gajeel! This was supposed to be a sword sparring match. You weren't allowed to use other attacks!" the man sized cat said as he removed himself from the wall. A puffing sound was then heard and the man sized cat had shrunk into a normal sized cat that stood upright.

"What's a matter, Lily? Can't take a hit from an eighteen year old boy?" Gajeel said with a smirk.

"Oh I can take a hit. It's the boy's childish behavior I can't take," the cat stated sourly.

"Gihee, you still shouldn't have called me boy."

"I shall refrain in the near future just to avoid any more of your tantrums."

"Idiot, just cause I changed the rule of our sparring, don't mean I was having a tantrum. Besides I haven't had a tantrum since I was eight when I first met you." Gajeel took the towel that was hanging in the corner and wiped the accumulated sweat on his didn't say anything instead he too took a towel and wiped his sweat filled fur. The two shared a few minutes of silence before Gajeel spoke again. "So I was thinking about tomorrow, and I've decided that I'd asked my old man to let me go to the festival."

"Really?" Lily asked genuinely curious.

"Yeah. I mean I'm pretty much physically capable of protecting myself. So there isn't any need for him to do so. Also, I'd be back by the end of the day so he wouldn't be worried, right?"

"I think it's a good idea. You're a fully grown man now. It's time you do things by yourself, starting off with going to a festival. Your father will have to understand."

"Thanks, Lily," he said as a small smile graced his rough features.

"Don't mention it. But I do suggest that we clean this place first before you ask your father. I doubt he'd be happy that we ruined your home."

Gajeel looked around and saw that his friend was right, the entire place was a mess. There were holes on the walls that divided the rooms and gashes on the floor, some of the furnitures were broken beyond repair.

"Shit! The old man's gonna kill me! Lily, help me clean this place up!" he yelled as he started picking up some pieces of what was used to be a chair. The black cat just sighed and followed the dragonslayers orders and started cleaning up things too.

It took over an hour for the two to finish cleaning.

"Man, I think we over did it this time, cat," Gajeel said as he had finish setting up the last new piece of furniture in place.

"Only because you can't hold down your own strength," Lily stated.

"Not my fault that I'm getting stronger everyday," the dragonslayer retorted a bit too proudly.

"No, but at least you should try restraining even just a little bit otherwise you might find yourself buried under the rubble of this tower once it goes down from your attacks."

"Tsk. I wish it would go down, then maybe I won't have to live here anymore," the raven head mumbled.

The exceed heard the last part and stared at the young man before him and immediately felt sorry for him. He knew about the other's circumstance, about him having an overprotective father and why he needed protection. It was true that the second magic the dragonslayer had was just too powerful and in the wrong hands could do god knows what. But Lily also knew that even though Gajeel had an important and special kind of magic that needs to be protected it didn't mean he deserved to be locked away from the world. The young man before him wanted what every other youth wanted; freedom, adventure, and perhaps even romance, but he was never given the opportunity to experience such things.

"Oi, Lily, you listening?" Gajeel's rough voice brought him back from his musing.

"Huh? I'm sorry, I was distracted. You were saying?"

"I was asking if you wanted to go with me to the festival this year."

Lily smirked and answered, "Of course I would. Though you know that I always go to the festival every year, so there really is no need to ask."

"Oh, that's right, you can pass the magic wall any time you want 'cause you ain't exactly human.."

"That's right. The wall was designed to keep any human out. But an exceed like me is an exception."

"Yeah well-" Gajeel paused his head tilted towards the tower's window which was its only entrance. "Dad's back and I think he's on a hurry. Lily, quickly hide!" he told the black exceed.

Lily immediately did as he was told and flew all the way towards the ceiling beams. He knew that Gajeel didn't want his father to know about his existance or the fact that they were friends. The older man's paranoia would've triggered and shit could happen, worst case scenario, he could end up six feet underground because of the said man's magic, and he doubt that Gajeel would be able to do anything. Despite the ruggish and bad boy appearance that the young man had, he still loved his father and would never disobey him.

He watched as Gajeel hurriedly removed his torn down black tunic and wore a plain black shirt, he also saw that the young man had tied his unkempt hair in a low ponytail. The young man's father never did approve of Gajeel's preferred fashion style and he couldn't blame him, no parent with a right mind would want their children to shave their eyebrows and put piercings on them not to mention grow out their hair as long as Gajeel did with his. That's why he understood when Jose gave his friend a dress code to follow at least when he was at home.

Gajeel stood by the window and waited for his father to come up. A few minutes later a dark shadow floated down the window, then the shadow disperse and in it's place a man in his late sixties stood.

"Welcome home, father," Gajeel said with a short bow. Then he smelled the other man and immediately panicked. "You're hurt!" he announced immediately went to his father's side. He inspected the man and saw the man's clothes were smeared in blood and edges were tattered.

"Good to be back, son. And yes, I am hurt and extremely exhausted. Why don't you do something about it, my boy." Jose looked at his son suggestively.

Gajeel only nodded and walked away only to come back with two chairs, one bigger than the other. He let his father sit on the bigger chair while he sat on the other one. Then he took his father's hand and began focusing his magic, a blue light started to come out from the raven head's body then onto his hand towards Jose, suddenly the latter's clothes started to mend itself, the dried blood slowly disappearing, and the man's physical appearance drastically change too, he had now looked at least thirty-five years younger than before.

Jose sighed in relief before standing up and began stretching his now younger body. The man felt good being young again, aside from that he felt his magic get fully restored to it's original level or maybe it had increased beyond that said level, he wasn't sure. He had stop measuring his magic capacity a couple of centuries ago. But he was still happy about it. He was very contented with the life he had now, being the strongest mage in all of Fiore, and it was all thanks to his precious 'son'.

"Um, dad..." who seem to be trying to gain his attention for the last three minutes.

"What is it, son?" he asked happiness still radiated from him.

"You know what tomorrow is, right?"

"Hm? Tuesday, I think," he answered not bothering to face his son and continued to move towards the kitchen.

Gajeel followed his father and continued. "Yeah, that's right. But I'm asking if you remembered the significance of tomorrow."

"Son, what would you say if we have Hazelnut soup for lunch today?" the man asked clearly not listening to his son's question and started rummaging the cabinets for ingredients, "It's your favorite I know, and I was thinking of adding a few screws and bolts too. Of course I'd only put them on yours but that's okay-"

Getting angry at being ignored, Gajeel slammed his hands on the kitchen table and said "DAD!" at the same time.

This finally caught the older man's attention and immediately shifted his gaze from the cabinets towards the table his son had practically destroyed with his uncontrolled strength. "Gajeel-kun, how many times have I told you not to bent your frustrations on the furnitures?"

"I'm sorry 'bout the table I'll fix it later but you can't blame me, you were practically ignoring me, and it was the easiest way to get your attention."

"Well, now you have my full attention, what is it do you want?"

The ravenhead was taken aback by his father's willingness to listen to him, which was a first. But he wasted no time thinking about the man's strange behavior, instead he told the man what he wanted.

"I was trying to tell you that it's my birthday tomorrow, and I'm turning eighteen, a full adult."

"Birthday? No that can't be. I specifically remember, your birthday was last year," Jose stated before turning back towards the cabinets again.

"Dad, the thing about birthdays that it's an annual thing," he tried to say without making it sound like a whine. Really his father could be such an idiot sometime. He continued but nervousness was starting to get him, "Anyway I was thinkin'... if it's not too much of bother, that-well I mean..."

"Gajeel-kun, enough with the mumbling you know I hate it when you mumble, blah,blah,blah,blah,blah-"

"Iwanttogotothedragonfestival!" he cut him and said real fast.

"Wha-"

"I said I want to go to the Dragon Festival," the younger man stated with more conviction, "Dad, it's has been my life long dream to attend this festival and I really want it to happen. Plus, I'm turning eighteen tomorrow. I think it's about time I do something else other than staying all day in this tower. I want to go beyond the walls, see people and-"

"You want to leave?" Jose asked barely audible but was still heard by the sensitive ears of the dragonslayer.

The pain tone in his father's voice shook Gajeel to the core but he didn't want to back down, at least not yet, he first had to make his old man understand. But before he could start with his speech of convincing his dad, a musical sound was heard throughout the tower. _(_ _ **A/N:**_ _okay I said I didn't want to torture you with the image of Jose singing but this part just had to be included because it just cracks me up!)_

 _"You want to go outside, Oh why, Gajeel-kun~~"_ Jose's singing voice started as he slowly turned to face his son.

"Shit!" Gajeel mentally cursed, as more musical melodies mysteriously was heard. He knew exactly where this was going.

 _"Look at you, thinking you're a grown up,"_ Jose sang as he cupped Gajeel's cheeks. _"Strong enough to leave, not a weakling! But you know why we stay up in this tower!"_

"I know but-"

 _"That's right, to keep you safe and sound, boy!"_ the weirdly dressed man continued singing as he danced away from his now irritated looking son.

"I'm not a boy anymore!" he yelled at his father

 _"Guess I always knew this day was coming, knew that soon you'd want to leave the nest!"_ Jose did a few twirls. _"Soon, but not yet."_ He stopped infront of Gajeel.

"Dad..." Gajeel growled warningly, one, because he did not want his father to sing, and two, he can hear Lily's repressed snickers above.

 _"Shh, trust me, pet. Daddy knows best!"_ The lights of the tower suddenly turned off surprising the dragonslayer.

"The fuck?!" Gajeel's voice resounded along with the instrumental music that continuously played.

 _"Daddy knows best. Listen to your Father, it's a dark world out there,"_ Jose's voice was heard.

"Dad, this ain't funny, and singing ain't necessary." Gajeel said as he slowly tried to lit candles for light, which was pointless because Jose turned them off anyway.

 _"Daddy knows best! One way or another, something will go wrong, I swear!"_ Jose sang in a very off noted way as he finally showed himself to Gajeel in the dark room. _"Monsters, giants, dark guild mages! Cannibals and snakes, the war."_

"No way!"

_"Yes!"_

"So what? I'm strong enough to kick their asses," the raven head stated angrily.

 _"Also large bugs, men with pointy teeth."_ Gajeel indignantly reminded his father that he too had pointy teeth. _"And Stop, no more, you'll just upset me! Daddy's right here, daddy will protect you. Sonny, here's what I suggest! Skip the drama, stay with papa! Daddyyyyyy, knows best!"_

Gajeel was now covering his sensitive ears.

 _"Go ahead, get trampled by a rhino! Go ahead, get mugged and left for dead! Me, I'm just your father, what do I know? I only bathed and changed and nursed you!"_ the man sang the last part a bit too angrily that made the iron dragonslayer cringe. _"Go ahead and leave me, I deserve it! Let me die alone here, be my guest! When it's too late, you'll see, just wait, Daddy knows best!"_

Guilt immediately entered the teen's heart, while his father lead him to a full body mirror.

_"Daddy knows best. Take it from your daddy, 'cause on your own you think you'd survive? Arrogant, hotheaded, little immature, clumsy, please, you'll never last a day! Ignorant, naive, positively grubby, ditzy and a bit, well, hmm, vague. Plus, I believe you're gettin' kinda heavy I'm just saying 'cause I love you."_

But despite the _'I love you'_ statement, Gajeel had slowly became depressed and his own will slowly dwindled as his father described him and stated his flaws.

 _"Daddy understands, Father's here to help you. All I have is one REQUEST!"_ he sang the last part louder for emphasis, before facing his son with a very serious expression. "Gajeel-kun?" he called as he approached the latter.

"Yeah?"

"Don't ever ask to leave this tower again," Jose stated with finality.

"Yes, sir," his son answered expressionlessly.

Jose knew his son's real emotion behind the indifferent face he wore so he tried to placate the boy with sweet word. "Oh, son, you know I love you very much."

"I know. And love you more, dad," Gajeel answered with a small yet sad smile.

"And I love you most," Jose stated as he gave his boy a tight hug. _"hmm. Don't forget it, you'll regret it, daddy knows best..."_ Jose smiled lovingly at his son, an expression that no one knew the man could do. But it was ruined by sound of flapping coming from the window.

The two men shifted their attention to the source of the sound. A crow landed on the window sill and on its beak a letter was held. Jose immediately approach the crow, grabbed the letter, and read it. Meanwhile Gajeel stared bemusedly at his old man as he read the letter. This wasn't the first time they had received a letter from a crow, but this was the first time he had seen the smile that graced his gentle and kind father's face. It was a very creepy and almost sinister smile that sent shivers down his skin. He immediately decided that he didn't like that smile, but he was curious what the cause of it was.

"Dad, is something wrong?" he asked.

"Hahahaha!" Jose laughed with so much glee, surprising the teen. Then he faced him and announced, "I need to go!"

"What?! But ya just got back!"

"I know, but there's an important matter that I need to see to." The older man hurriedly ran to the kitchen to grab his staff and purple coat.

"When will you be back?" Gajeel asked when his father returned.

"Three days most likely," he said as he reapproached the window.

"Three days?!"

"Yes. But don't worry son, I'll bring you plenty of iron as a gift for your birthday," he told the teen as he hugged him, then he separated and looked at his son with a very serious expression. "Gajeel, you remember the rule, you are to stay on this tower while I'm gone, and kill anyone who tries to get in. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Good." He walked closer to the window, arms spread wide to the side, shadows then slowly enveloped the man from his feet. When the shadows had almost completely covered his face, Jose took one last glance at his son and said, "I also suggest that you abandon that silly dream of going to this festival, and focus on training yourself." When the shadows had fully covered his body, it flew from the window. "See you in three days, son!" Was the last thing that Gajeel heard before seeing the shadow pass the magic wall and disappeared.

"I'll be here waiting," the iron dragonslayer quietly stated, while Lily, who had finally came down from the rafters, patted his back comfortingly.

"I'm sorry, Gajeel," the exceed said.

"Naw, it ain't yer fault, Lil'. But it looks like you'll be attending the festival alone again this year."

"I could just not go, you know."

"NO! I mean, you don't have to do that. I want ya to go, and come back and tell me everything 'bout it."

"But Gajeel-"

"Please, Lily, fer me," Gajeel pleaded.

The exceed let out a heavy sigh. He couldn't say no to that. "Alright. But I think I'll only be staying for half a day, then I'll come back here to rescue you from boredom," the exceed smirked.

"Then I suggest ya leave now and come back tomorrow so ya get more time to buy me more gifts, preferably lots of iron."

"Ha! Is that all you ever think? Food?"

"Hey, I think about training too, asshole!"

"Sadly, I believe your line of thoughts stops there."

"Shut up, ya stupid cat!"

"Offended, Gajeel?"

"Hah! You wish! Here, catch." He threw a bag Lily's direction, "I want that bag filled with iron when you get back."

Lily inspected the bag. "This is even bigger than the one you gave me last year!"

"Gihee, what can I say, I'm a growing boy!"

Lily simply let out a sigh, before picking up his own bag and flying towards the window. "You better not do anything stupid while I'm gone."

"I ain't a kid anymore, cat!"

"Yeah, well you said the same thing last year and I found you shaved your eyebrows and added 24 piercings all over your body."

"I was bored!" Gajeel stated a little tint of red appeared on his cheeks.

Lily chuckled then flew out of the window. "See ya, Gajeel!"

"Watch out for yourself out there," the teen said with genuine concern.

"I've already told you. The world outside is not all that bad as your father made it sound."

"Doesn't matter, just take care of yourself, cat."

"I will." That was the last thing Lily said before flying full speed towards the magic wall and disappearing when he passed through it.

Gajeel continued to stare at the spot Lily disappeared to. He really wanted to go with the exceed to the festival, in fact he was even willing to disobey his father just to do it. But he couldn't because of that damn stupid wall. The dragonslayer let out a very heavy sigh and as always simply just accepted his fate.

**( - )**


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: FT not mine! It belongs to Hiro Mashima, I'm just playing with it.

**(-)**

Levy McGarden is not your ordinary seventeen year old girl; from her sky blue hair, to her type of magic, nothing about her shouts ordinary. Well, that's probably because she belongs to the most extraordinary mage guild in all of Fiore, Fairy tail. As part of the said guild, Levy holds a very high sense of responsibility to honor her guild. She, along with all of it's members, try their best to uphold the guild's wonderful reputation. Of course that means completing each and every job they have to satisfy their clients.

This is why Levy, along with her teammates of Team Shadowgear, Jet and Droy were trekking down the most dangerous forest in all of Fiore in order to complete the mission they had taken from the King of Fiore himself, King Metallicana. Well, they wouldn't have to travel down this path in the first place if they had just properly did their job which was to guard the crown of the lost dragon prince. They had been reckless and had let a small group of lowly thieves get the better of them and steal one of the kingdom's most important treasure. Now the trio had to search for the thieves, retrieve the crown, and return it before the next day, which was the celebration of the lost prince's birthday, otherwise they will face the wrath of the king and at the same time disgrace their guild.

The three mages stopped at the sound of footsteps and voices just a few meters from them. Levy gestured to her companions to be more quiet, so they could secretly creep towards the source of the sounds. They stopped upon reaching the the edge of a small clearing within the forest and immediately hid behind the thick bushes and trees. They immediately recognized the thieves that were staying at the clearing. The thieves were composed of ten people by the looks of it, and it seems that two of them were arguing over something, the first one was a fat bald guy that was even bigger than Droy and looked like he hadn't seen a bath in days and the second was a short skinny guy whose face looked exactly like a rat. The skinny one was carrying a brown satchel which, Levy was certain contained, the crown.

"I deserve 60% of the share we get from that crown!" The fat one said.

"Why? I was the one who thought up everything? I think I deserve the bigger share!"

"But it was my magic that beat those idiot mages! If it weren't for my sleep magic, we never would've been able to get the crown."

"And if I didn't planned out everything from our escape route we never would've been able to get out of there! Plus I was the one who's carry this thing while escaping!"

"Who cares? I would've thought of something! Plus I can carry that thing too you know!"

"You really want to try my patience do you?!"

"You're the one trying my patience!"

It wasn't long before the argument escalated into a full blown battle using fists and the rest of the thieves joining in the fight. The group were too busy trying to kill each other that they didn't notice the satchel getting thrown towards the direction of the three mages that were observing them.

 _"Lucky!"_ The three thought.

Levy took hold of the satchel and immediately gestured for her companions to leave. The two nodded in agreement and slowly stepped away from their hiding place and going back to the path they took earlier. Everything seem to be going well for the three until Droy had accidentally step on a twig alerting the arguing thieves of their presence.

"They have the crown!" the skinny one announced.

"Get them!" the fat one ordered.

The three fairies were immediately surrounded by the thieves.

"Looks like we have no choice but to fight back," Jet said with a grin as he looked at the enemies.

"Indeed!" Droy and Levy agreed sharing the same expression.

The thieves didn't notice the exchange and instead attacked the three only to be flung by a powerful wave of air coming from the vortex of wind created by the speed mage's running.

 **"Solid script: Fire!"** The word 'FIRE' immediately form on air and red flames assaulted the thieves.

"Arggggg!" The thieves cried in pain.

More solid script spells flew along with weird plants and speedy running attacks. The thieves were no match for the three Fairy tail mages. The fighting continued until only two members of the thieves were left, the big fat one and the rat faced skinny one.

"So you two gonna let us leave or you wanna join your friends on the ground?" Jet asked.

"Hey, Gab, I think I know how we can determine who gets the bigger share of the reward," the skinny one said.

"Oh? And what's on yer mind, Mike?" The fat one asked.

"Whoever beats the shit out of these mages gets 70% of the pay," a sinister smile formed on the skinny guy's lips

À similar smile appeared on the fat guy. "Deal."

Before the group could react the skinny one appeared in front of Droy's massive form. "Ready to dance fat guy?" he asked before flinging the plant mage to the nearby tree.

"Droy!" Jet called his friend.

"Be more concern of yourself speed-boy," the fat guy said towering the orange haired speed mage before turning to green gas enveloping Jet with it.

"Jet!" Levy screamed as she saw her friend slumping down unconscious on the hard floor.

"Shishishishishi, looks like you're the only one left little flower," skinny said.

"What ya say we stop this senseless fight and just hand over that little satchel, then maybe wees gonna let ya live," the fat one said.

"Not a chance fatso!" Levy said.

"Fatso?!"

"Shishishishishi! She called you fatso!" the skinny one laughed

"Of course, I'd call him that rat face!" Levy said a smirk graced her face.

"Ra-ra-rat face?! Why you bitch!"

"We'll kill you!"

The two men charged the short script mage who didn't look nervous at all. She was expecting something. And that something happened when the two thieves neared where she stood and-

_***boink*** _

"The hell-!" The two uttered as they tried to recover from hitting a very hard wall.

"What the fuck is this?!" Skinny rat face yelled as he stared at the magically appeared wall that surrounded him and his companion.

"Sorry boys but I think you got yourselves stuck at the moment," Levy said sweetly.

"Bitch, what did you do?!" Fatty asked.

"Isn't it obvious, I trapped you in a rune wall that I set up while you were busy hurting my friends. Which by the way I'm gonna make you wish you never did!" A dark aura surrounded the bluenette sending fear into the hearts of the two thieves. " **Solid Script: Lightning!** " she said along with a hand gesture, and immediately a strong lightning hit the two trapped thieves frying them and knocking the two out. "Hmph, that'll teach you idiots to not mess with team Shadowgear," she said before rushing to her friends' aid.

After a few moments of trying to wake the other two Shadowgear members the three finally stood and bask in their victory.

"Levy-chan, honto ni sugoi!" Droy said.

"Hai, you beat those two by yourself," Jet followed.

The two continued to praise their young script mage, who merely smiled shyly at the attention she was getting, and not notice the shift of the ground they were standing. Luckily Levy did notice it and immediately shoved the three of them away from where they had stood seconds ago.

"Non, non, non, non, I have never met anyone who was able to notice my presence before I attack," the man who appeared from the ground where they had stood earlier said.

"Who are you?!" Jet demanded.

"Non, non, non, it is very rude to ask someone's name and not give them their own, monsieur. Though I already know who you are, right monsieur Aria?"

"Indeed, and it so sad!" A big solid face guy that appeared out of thin air said

"They look like weak punks than fairies to me," another stranger who appeared out of no where said.

"Who are you calling weak, asshole?!" Droy yelled.

"Barking isn't going to make you scary, monsieur fairy," the first guy stated.

"Sad, it's just so sad!" The big one said.

"Enough, talking you guys. You know the master doesn't want to wait," the third guy told his companions before shifting his attention to the three Shadowgear mages. "But introductions must be in order. I am Totomaru, these are my companions Sol," he pointed the earth mage with the french accent, "And Aria," geturing the other one. "And we're Phantom Lord mages. We're here for what's inside that satchel of yours."

Levy held on the satchel even closer to her. She knew that these men were dangerous, she felt the strength of their magic, and the name of their guild was enough to sent shivers down her spine. Phantom Lord, Fiore's most notorious and strongest dark guild. What they wanted with the crown, she didn't know but she did know that they must not have it no matter what.

"Jet, Droy, when I give the signal we all run as fast as we can, we got to lose these guys and mustn't let them have the crown," she whispered to her companions.

"Planning ain't gonna help you girlie," Totomaru said.

Levy merely smiled before raising her hand infront of her and shouting, " **Solid Script: Smoke!** "

Thick white smoke surrounded the area surprising the three Phantom mages.

"Shit! Aria do something about this now!" Totomaru ordered.

The said mage hurriedly summoned a light tornado carrying the smoke away. Once the smoke was gone the three noticed that the fairies were gone too. Angered that they were outwitted, they immediately gave chase.

**( - )**

Levy ran as fast as her short two legs could carry. She had been unlucky enough to have to have been separated from her two companions, what's worse it seem the enemy were all going after her. Well it was expected considering she had what they were after but it was still bad luck on her part. Man her legs were killing her, but she kept running and at the same time tried to avoid the balls of colorful flames, sand and gust of winds that all seem to be targeting her.

She smiled when she saw that she was already nearing the edge of. the forest. Just a few more meters, she told herself.

"Bitch, get back here!" she heard Toto guy say from behind her.

"Yeah like I'd listen to you, idiot," Levy thought before giving one final sprint towards the end of the forest. "Woah!" the script mage cried as she tried to balance herself. Apparently she had taken the wrong turn earlier and instead of finding herself in civilization, she found herself standing at the edge of a sheer drop pit.

"Oh, it is so sad!" she heard Aria say from behind her.

"Non, non, non! End of the line mademoiselle fairy," Sol said.

"Now, hand over the satchel and maybe we won't hurt you that much," Totomaru stated a hand raised aimed at Levy.

The young bluenette held the satchel with the crown protectively on her chest, defiance radiated on her brown orbs. She may be cornered but she was not going down without a fight, better yet she was not going to let them have the crown.

"Come now fairy, just move over here and give us the crown," Toto demanded his voice showed that he was losing his patience.

"You guys really want this?" Levy started as she pulled the crown from the satchel showing it to the Phantom mages whose eyes narrowed dangerously at her. She replaced the crown again on the satchel and wore it tighter on her body and shoulder. "Well then you'd have to get it over my DEAD BODY! Solid Script: Blaze!"

A small tornado of fire appeared from the magical word and headed directly towards the unsuspecting trio. Sol was quick to react and immediately created a wall made out of dirt that served as a shield. Once the fire was gone, Sol lowered the wall and was surprise to find that the little blue haired fairy was no where to be seen. Totomaru immediately checked the cliff for any sign of the girl only to find her bandana hanging on the branch of the tree that was at the edge of the cliff.

"Stupid fairy, she choose death over life," Totomaru said.

"It's so sad that it had to end!"

"Non,non,non! We better go and check the body to get the crown, monsieur Totomaru and monsieur Aria."

"Right, let's go."

**( - )**

"Ouch," Levy McGarden said as she rubbed her butt. "That was a stupid thing to do. Seriously who jumps off a cliff? I needed to get away from them," she starts internally arguing with herself, "It was still stupid, you could've died." She then starts remembering her near death experience.

_*Flashback*_

She was cornered, and her foes where demanding surrender. It would've been easier to just give up the crown but she didn't want to. Blame her stuborness that was ingrained to her by the guild she belonged or her horrible sense of duty that kept her from accepting defeat. So instead of giving up she tried to find a way out. She looked at the cliff and realize that it was indeed a long fall down, but she also noticed that there were thick trees below. An idea immediately click into her blue haired head.

"Come now fairy, just move over here and give us the crown," Toto demanded his voice showed that he was losing his patience.

"You guys really want this?" Levy started as she pulled the crown from the satchel showing it to the Phantom mages whose eyes narrowed dangerously at her. She re-placed the crown again on the satchel and wore it tighter on her body and shoulder. "Well then you'd have to get it over my DEAD BODY! Solid Script: Blaze!"

As the Phantom mages were distracted Levy took a huge leap at the cliff's direction. As she was falling, she hurriedly casted the magic words "Float!" and "Levitate!" to herself slowing down her fall. She reached the thick trees and harshly fell on the branches and leaves until she fell butt first on the hard solid ground.

"Ouch!"

_*End of Flashback*_

"Well that's that. I'm alive and was able to escape those Phantom mages. I better focus more on reuniting with Jet and-"

_***twig breaks*** _

"Hey Aria can't you be more quieter. You're gonna alert the fairy our presence like that!" The loud voice of the Phantom mage Totomaru was heard.

Levy didn't have to listen any further, she immediately sprinted to the opposite direction of the voices.

" _How were they able to get to me that fast?!_ " were the thoughts that flowed through Levy's mind. She was tired, her magic already drained after using so many high level script spells, so she didn't think she could handle another encounter with those mages who were leagues above her own. She continued running until she suddenly hit a wall.

"Ugh," Levy rubbed her head. "What did I hit?" she asked as she stood up to check what she had bumped on to. "A rune wall?! What the heck is a rune wall doing here?" she asked out loud.

"Non,non,non,non, monsieur Aria, I think I heard someone from this direction!"

That was the voice of that Sol guy, and it didn't sound far. How those guys could easily chase her so fast she didn't know, nor did she want to find out. Without any second thought, she took out her magic pen and began rewriting the rune a bit just enough to allow her entry. It didn't take her long until she was able to change the rune's rules and enter the wall just in time to avoid Sol who appeared behind the bushes she past through earlier.

Sol saw the empty clearing and was very confused. He was certain he had felt a surge of magic on this part but he found nothing. He was going to investigate but the call of his companions stopped him. They might've found that fairy's body by the urgency of their call. So the weird earth mage decided to meet up with his friends.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the wall, Levy sighed in relief. Apparently the wall not only prevents people from passing through it but it also has an invisibility property that hides everything that's inside it. So seeing the Phantom mage leave without the knowledge of her presence greatly pleased her. Her happiness didn't last though because curiosity started to fill her heart. "Who would create such a massive rune wall in the middle of the dark forest and why would they make one in the first place?" were the questions that assaulted Levy's mind.

She decided to investigate a little, look around for a bit and at least find a couple of answers to her questions. Yes it was not logical for her, she knew she had to get back to her teammates and she had to return the crown immediately but she really wanted to find out and so she started walking away from the wall and deeper onto the forest inside it.

The forest inside the walls seemed thicker than the ones beyond it making it darker inside, but Levy didn't seem to be bothered by it, she just continued walking until she saw the trees ending and a clearing up ahead. Upon reaching the clearing Levy was very much surprise to see a really tall tower standing proudly at the center of the forest inside the wall.

"Who would build such a thing in the middle of no where? Is this what the wall was hiding?" more questions entered the bluenettes mind.

The young script mage approached the tall structure and began investigating it. She went around it, searching for doors or any kind of passage that she could use to get inside the tower. But she found nothing, nothing except the window that was found at the top of the tower. Levy saw no ladder or rope for her to use to get to the window either, so by now she should've just give up and leave the place. But she didn't want to, for her stubbornness was acting up again and not because of a mysterious voice in her head that kept telling her to enter the strange tower.

"Oooooh I am really gonna regret this!" she uttered before casting the word spell "Fly" on herself.

As the words landed above her head her entire body began to lift itself from the ground and slowly flew towards the tower's window, went inside and landed on the wooden floor with a thud. Levy then began to scan the large room. She didn't see much except that it was obvious that someone was living there, if the smell of cooked food was any indication.

"Anyone there?" she asked as she walked further inside the large circular room of the tower. She would've continued her exploring until she heard a loud thud behind her. She would've turn but she didn't have enough time because she felt a sudden pain on the back of her neck that immediately rendered her unconscious.

**( - )**

Gajeel was already bored. He had finished his training, cooked his food, done all of his chores and even finished a new book his father bought and all before noon. He still had the entire afternoon to fill, and he had nothing to do anymore. The iron dragonslayer was very much considering climbing down the tower and try to catch squirrels or rabbits below, but found it a hassle and a waste of time, not that he didn't have all the time in the world, but hunting for sport was never fun when you do it alone. Why did he let Lily go to the festival early this year? He began to ask himself. He'd never admit it out loud but he missed the cat. Lily always knew how to entertain him or at least take away his boredom either by training with him or telling him about the outside world, which was among the main reasons why he never told his father about the exceed in the first place. Lily was his only connection to the outside world and if his father found out about him, he'd probably kill his one and only friend, a thing that he was sure he'd never like to happen.

Gajeel was in the middle of his 'thinking of things to do for the rest of his day' when he caught a smell of a very unfamiliar scent just below the tower. He immediately went to the window to check it out and was surprise to find a young boy with blue hair below. It would appear that the boy was checking the tower out for any means of entrance. " _Ha good luck with that kid."_ The dragonslayer thought. Then he was even more surprised when he saw the word "Fly" form above the head of the boy, and the boy slowly getting lifted towards the window. Not knowing what else to do, Gajeel jumped towards the rafters and hid in the shadow of the ceiling.

He waited there for a few seconds until the boy arrived and landed. He remembered his father's instructions about killing anyone who would venture inside the tower but Gajeel wasn't planning on obeying his father's orders at the moment, one because he didn't want to hurt a kid, and two because the said kid was the first ever human being he had seen besides his old man. So yeah, he'd have second thoughts about killing the intruder. So the dragonslayer opted to observe the boy and see what he would do.

The kid didn't seem to be doing anything besides investigating the tower and calling out if someone was home. So now Gajeel was sure that the idiot was not a thief. But the reason why he was there still illuded the raven head. And so he decided to show himself with a bit of precaution. He landed behind the kid, who froze at his presence, and hit his the back of the kid's neck rendering him unconscious.

Gajeel then knelt down beside the body and flipped it so it would be facing up. His eyes widened when he realized the the boy was actually a woman, a pretty faced but really short, nearly flat chested woman. He immediately felt guilty for hitting her. True this was his first encounter with the opposite sex, but he and Lily had enough talks to let him know that a real man should never hit a woman. Not that he had knew she was one in the first place. But still it was not a good thing to do.

Deciding not to let what he did get to him, he continued his investigation on the woman's identity. He took the satchel that hung on the woman's shoulder and checked its contents. There was nothing inside it besides an expensive looking crown.

Gajeel took the crown and examined it. It looked like it was made out of pure gold but he could tell that there was really pure tasty iron embedded inside it, his nose was never wrong when it came to these things. A red gem was fitted in front of the crown, which he felt a large amount of magic dwelling within it but was in its resting state. On any other day he would've eaten the crown without any hesitation because it had iron in it. But now, he didn't have to urge to. For some unknown reason he felt a strange familiarity towards the object and thought it was special. He tried fitting it on his head, thinking that it might ring a bell as to where he saw it. He looked at the mirror as he fitted the crown. It was weird seeing him wear it but he had a strange feeling it belonged there.

A scowl immediately itched on his face. "Since when did I thought I like wearing jewelry," he asked himself as he removed the crown.

" _Since you got piercings, idiot,_ " a voice in his head that sounded oddly like Lily answered.

"I meant other than that," he muttered as he gently held the crown.

A groan was heard behind him, and reminded him of his unexpected visitor. Gajeel immediately put the crown back in the satchel and hid it within the removable plank of the staircase, and then attended to the intruder of his home.

( - )

Levy had no idea what to expect when she woke up. Her head was pounding and she was sitting upright yet couldn't move her arms and legs. She tried to remember the event before her waking then jolted when she did remember everything; the phantom mages chasing her, entering a rune wall, flying inside a mysterious tower, then getting hit unconscious. She immediately surveyed her surroundings and realized that she was still inside the tower and was tied to a chair with what looks like giant bolts?

"What the?" she uttered outloud as she struggled to get out of the bindings.

"It's useless, shrimp. Those bolts are made by my iron. They ain't gonna break that easily," a gruff voiced resounded.

Levy turned her head around to search for the source of the voice and found a large form in the darkest corner of the celing. "Who are you?"

"I'd like to ask you the same thing," the owner of the voice said, "That and how'd you get here and what you're doing here."

"I'm Levy McGarden, Fairy tail mage, I got here through the rune wall, saw this tower, got curious, and went to investigate. Now let me go!"

"Curious, huh? With what exactly?" the voice growled and sounded threatening that started to put fear in the young bluenettes heart.

"I was just curious! Really! I've never been to the dark forest before and when I got through the rune wall, I wondered who made it and why, so I explored a little, then I found this tower and I went inside it," Levy explained. The voice paused as if considering whether to believe her or not. Levy seriously hoped he did because it was the truth.

A few seconds of agonizing silence the voice spoke again. "So what were doing in the dark forest in the first place? And how'd you break through the rune wall?" curiosity dipped within the words.

"Well, it's a long story why I was inside the dark forest but to put it short, me and my companions went to retrieve a crown, I got separated from them while was chased by dark guild mages, found the rune wall and rewrote it to allow me to get inside and here I am! Now please let me go, I still need to finish my job and return the- wait a minute! Where IS IT?! Where's the satchel with the crown?!" The script mage frantically searched for the satchel, despite knowing her very limited movements.

"Gihee, I hid it, shrimp," the voice admitted.

"Well unhide it! I told you everything there is to know about me despite the fact that I know nothing about you, so I think you should now keep your word, give me my satchel and let me go!" Levy said angrily but only earned her more of the strange laughter from the voice.

"I never said I'd let you go after you answered my questions," the voice said.

"What?! Why not?! Look, I didn't do anything to get on your bad side mister, I don't think I deserve to be bolted on a chair!"

"Technically you trespassed on my tower, so yeah, you do deserve what you're experiencing now," the voice replied with mirth that irritated Levy to no ends. So she shut her mouth and started struggling against her restraints. If the owner the voice wasn't going to let her go then she'd do it herself.

**( - )**

Okay, Gajeel was amused by the woman's spirit, because despite the situation she was in she still had the nerve to get angry and even verbally fight back. It was cute how her tiny faced flushed in frustration as she answered him and tried to get out of her bindings. He liked it, which was a first for Gajeel because he never was the type to adore cute things, or use the word to describe anything. He saw that the woman was still struggling to get out of her bindings so he decided to intervene before she hurt herself.

"I told you that won't work, shrimp, my iron is really sturdy and I doubt you could do anything with that little body of yours."

"It's Levy, you jerk!" she yelled surprising the dragonslayer, "If you're not gonna let me go, might as well call me by my real name."

Gajeel smirked in shadows of his hiding place. Yup, he was beginning to really like the little bluenette, at least he liked her as a good source of entertainment that could rival Lily in a way. "Naw I prefer shrimp," he said earning a groan from the other. Yup, she was entertaining him.

But as much as he wanted to tease the other some more he had better plans for his captive. So he jumped down from his spot and slowly walked out of the shadows to reveal himself to his prisoner.

"But names aside, I may have never said I'd let you go when you answer my questions, but it doesn't mean I won't you let go," he said as he walked closer.

**( - )**

Ever since waking up in her current predicament and hearing the voice of her captor, she had been expecting the worse would happen to her. Yes, she had been shouting and yelling at the owner of the voice but it was her way of trying to keep her fear in check. She didn't want her captor thinking she was weak and easy to break. She knew her position in this situation was bad but she wouldn't stop trying to find a way out of it. So when her captor said that he'd let her go, she immediately thought of the worse and tried to plan on a way to use it to her advantage. She waited for her captor to show himself after she heard him jump down from his hiding place on the ceiling and spoke about letting her go. When the silhouette of a man emerge from the shadows, Levy expected an ugly monster of a beast that lived in the mysterious tower but not this.

Her brown eyes widened as she took in the man's physique. He was hot! The bluenette thought. He was probably about her age or at least a year or two older, had long black hair that spiked everywhere but in a sexy way, and body, she could tell underneath the dark tight shirt, was perfectly in good shape. She couldn't believe it, for once in her life she actually found someone from the opposite sex attractive, and that someone doesn't even live on the pages of her books. She must be visibly gawking because the man released a very sexy chuckle that snapped her out of her reverie.

"What's a matter, shrimp? 'Not what you expected to see, didn't you?" he asked.

"I was expecting a monster living in this tower," Levy answered honestly.

"Ha! Well sorry to disappoint. Though I can be a monster if I want to be, but I don't want to scare ya before ya get to help me out."

"Help you? With what?" She looked at the man suspiciously. He may be good looking but that doesn't mean he wasn't a pervert.

"Nothing serious. Just want ya to get me outside the wall and be my guide. Want ya to take me somewhere then get me back here," he said nonchalantly.

Levy observed the man, she couldn't believe that all he wanted from her was something so simple, but he didn't look like he was kidding. "And you'll give me back my satchel and let me go?"

"After everything, yeah," he said with a nod.

"Not agreeing just yet, but where exactly do you want me to take you?"

"The Dragon Festival," he answered.

"You mean Fiore's Dragon Festival?"

"Yes, at the capital city of Magnolia."

"Why do you want to go there?"

"None of your business!" he shouted surprising Levy, "All you need to think about is getting me through the wall, taking me to the festival and back here. Then when everything's done I give you your satchel with the crown back and you can go your merry way. What do you say shrimp?"

"And what would you do if I say no," she asked trying to look at all her options.

"Then I kill you, bury your body and keep the crown for myself," a sadistic smile graced his face sending shivers down to Levy's spine.

" _Okay, maybe he can be a monster when he wants to,_ " Levy thought. It looks like she had to agree with the guy's proposal because she didn't really have a choice on the matter. With a heavy sigh she said, "Okay, I'll take you to the festival."

"Gihee!"

"But there'll be a slight change to the arrangement," Levy started earning a raised brow from the other, "You need to give me the crown first."

"What? Why?"

"One, because it's my mission to return that to its right full owner, and two, because the festival won't start unless the crown is found," she explained.

"You're shitting me."

"I shit you not!" surprised by her own usage of such vulgar words. She hadn't been with the guy for long but his language was already influencing her.

"Why would a festival rely on a piece of jewelry?"

"In case you didn't notice but that 'jewelry' belonged to the lost dragon prince, the reason why the festival was created in the first place. His Magesty wants it returned otherwise the festival will get cancelled. Do you understand?" The raven-head looked like he was either seriously taking her words to consideration or was assessing if he was being lied to.

While the other was thinking, Levy studied the man. She was right about her initial observations, he was hot, but she did notice a few new things about him which she didn't noticed earlier. He had piercings all over his body, at least the part of his body that was seen. But Levy didn't seem bothered by this, in fact she found that she liked his piercings. It made him look exotic and unique. Speaking of unique, she also saw that the man had very unique pair of eyes, they were red, ruby red that seem pierced her very soul. The longer she looked at him the more she found that she was indeed physically attracted to him.

"Alright, but I'm carrying the satchel for safe measures," he finally said.

"Fine by me." She paused, then continued unsurely, "So, I guess we have deal?"

"Yeah we have a deal," the man agreed and smirked making the bluenettes heart flutter and give a small smile in return, "Oh, and name's Gajeel by the way."

**( - )**

Gajeel landed heavily on the grassy ground then looked up and waited for the bluenette to come down. He was really excited about this journey. Finally after many years of being stuck within the wall he finally can leave. Sure there was a slight pang in his heart that meant he felt guilty that he was betraying his old man but hey, this was his long time dream, and what the man doesn't know won't kill him. A few more minutes of waiting, he was becoming impatient.

"What the hell's taking the shrimp so long?" he asked mentally. "Oi, shorty, what's the hold up?!" he called.

"I'm coming!" was the reply before the blue haired woman landed beside the dragonslayer in her arms were three of his father's books.

"What the fuck are you doing with those?" he asked angrily.

"Relax, big guy, I'm not stealing these. I need them to help get you through the rune wall," she answered.

"Why would you need them? I thought you can rewrite the rune and alter them like you did to get inside."

"Runes work differently. I merely added my own rune to allow me, an outsider, to get in. But the real purpose of the wall wasn't to keep outsiders out but keep what was inside in. So, I needed your father's books to help me rewrite the entire thing. Don't worry, you can have them back once I'm done with them," she said with a smile.

"Fine."

**( - )**

It took only a few minutes for the two to get to the rune wall. Levy casted "Illuminate" to serve as light and started deciphering the runes using the books she borrowed. Meanwhile Gajeel simply prop himself beside the script mage and silently watched as she worked. As she read through the weird languages of the books, the raven head couldn't help but be amazed at the petite mage in front of him and he couldn't stop himself from voicing his amazement.

"You're something shrimp. I don't even touch those books because I can't understand a single sentence in them, yet you're reading them like they're in your native tongue," he said not noticing the blush he illicited from the bluenette.

"Um, well I do read a lot," Levy mumbled, "You kinda pick a few things from it."

Gajeel merely hummed in agreement.

A few more minutes of silence, Levy finally stood happily up, surprising the dragonslayer.

"Yosh! I get it now, instead of Phillixian, Ungardian( _ **A/N:**_ _Don't worry your minds. They're not real languages!)_ was used! And instead of T's, X's were used!" she announced happily.

"What do you mean, shrimp?" he asked confusedly.

She beamed at him and answered, "It means I can get you out of this place now!" She then took out her magic pen and started rewriting the runes. Seconds later she shifted her attention to the bemused raven head. "Ready to finally leave this place?" she asked with a grin and gesturing the wall.

Gajeel stared at her and the wall for a few times before finally understanding the script mage's words. He stood up from where he was and slowly walked near the rune. He stared at the wall with unreadable expression, but on the inside he was at war with himself. It was easy to climb down the tower, he'd done that several times already with Lily. But now he can finally and actually leave the place, his long time home and at the same time prison. He was actually gonna do it, really disobey his old man, his father, the man who raised him and done nothing but take care of him. Once again guilt filled his heart and he began to rethink about leaving.

"You know, I can tell you're a little at war with yourself. And I get where you're going," the bluenette's soft voice penetrated his train of thoughts, "An over protective father, an unplanned journey to a new land. I understand. But sometimes you have to do things on your own and make the biggest life changing decisions alone. Sure you'll hurt your old man, break his trust and heart." This added more guilt to the taller teen. "But you have decide what you want for yourself. Sure you need to consider things like which to chose, on one side lies your happiness, on the other lies your father's. But what really matters to YOU is what's important. I know it's never easy to decide between your happiness and other's, trust me I know."

"My happiness or the old man's huh?" Gajeel muttered, "You know shrimp, I can't tell whether you're telling me to leave this place or stay and forget this entire trip."

Levy smiled upon hearing the amusement in the other's voice. For some reason she didn't like a mopping Gajeel, it just wasn't him. Not that she knew him that long, but she just didn't like it.

"I'm just telling you that every action has consequences that we need to face. I just want you to know that," she said then passed by him and walked through the wall without looking back.

Gajeel stared at the figure beyond the wall who was already walking ahead of him. He considered her words for a few second. He knew she was right that there will be consequences to his decisions. But like she also said, what was important is what mattered to HIM. His father would be angry with him if he left the place, but he knew he will forever regret not going through with this once in a lifetime opportunity to leave. He'd rather face his father's rage than regret. So he released a deep breath and walked through the wall.

"I thought you gave up the idea of leaving and ran back to your tower!" the shrimp's voice called out to him from ahead of him.

"Gihee, as if Shorty. I ain't gonna waste this chance to fulfill my dream," he said as he caught up with her.

"You're dream is to attend a festival? That's kinda shallow," Levy asked with a teasing grin.

"Try staying in one place for nearly eighteen years. Let's see if you won't have an even shallower dream," the raven head said irritatedly which earned him a laugh from the shorter mage.

"Alright big guy, I won't judge you anymore!"

"Just show us the way out this god forsaken forest."

The younger one of the two merely smiled and nodded and pointed a direction.

"That way's out of this place," she stated. And the two walked to that exact direction in comfortable silence.

**( - )**

Unknown to the travelling pair just several kilometers away in the same forest lies another large structure. But unlike the tower that housed the special mage, this castle like housed a different kind of mages, the dangerous kind. The words Phantom Lord hung proudly at the front of the castle informing anyone who exactly lived in such a dark yet grand structure. The mages inside the building were known to be the fiercest and most notorious but at the moment the said mages were all shivering in fear. Their boss, the guild master at the moment was on his most foulest mood. He was very angry at his most trusted and strongest mages. They had very much disappointed him and failed him. He gave them a single order and that was to get the royal crown that belonged to the lost dragon prince. But no, they couldn't do it. Not only did they assign the task to a bunch of amateur group of thieves, they lost it to their enemy guild, Fairy tail. He was very happy earlier that day when he learned that the crown was successfully stolen, but his mood gave a swift turn for the worse when he learned that the fairies had reclaimed the crown and that his subordinates failed to get it back. He was very much considered killing his subordinates for failing him but then he would have to retrieve the crown himself which would be too much troublesome. But he really needed that crown, and he needed it before the end of tomorrow night. It's sleeping power would finally awaken after eighteen years of stagnation, and he will harness that power and allow him to be even more stronger than ever, strong enough to rival a dragon no a god. Of course he was already strong because of his special "son", but with the crown he can actually maintain his strength and not have to rely on the boy to always recharge him. This was the purpose of the crown, a new source of power for him and one that will forever remain with him. His "son" would allow his eternal youth while the crown would allow his power to remain the way it is. It was the first of the many stages to him becoming the ultimate mage.

He looked at his three cowering subordinates and considered his options.

"Who is the fairy that has the crown?" he asked.

"Her name is Levy McGarden, an esteem member of the team Shadowgear, uses Solid Script magic. She is known to be among the brains of the guild because of her vast knowledge of language and history. She is also a capable mage that could easily write and rewrite runes, master Jose," Sol said as he recalled the memories he saw from the bluenette.

"I can now understand why she was able to give the three of you a hard time. She must've outwitted you three numbskulls," the man said with a sigh. "And where did you lose track of her?"

"When she took a dive down a cliff. We all thought she died but we found evidence of her survival," Totomaru answered, "We would've continued our search sir, but you already summoned us back."

"Are you saying it was my fault you lost her, Totomaru-kun?"

"No sir!"

"Good. Just wanted to be sure," he said with a sadistic grin that immediately disappeared. "Well, I'd rather really kill the three of you but I won't. I want you to redeem yourselves and retrieve the crown. Remember, fail me this time and I swear that death will be the only thing you three would beg after I am done with you," he told the three, "Now begone!"

Almost immediately the three left the guild. Jose watched the three depart. He was feeling tired just after reprimanding the three, and thought that a well deserve rest was in order.

"A rest and another power up from Gajeel-kun would be able to take away the stress I feel at the moment," he said before informing the rest of his subordinates he was leaving and would be returning at night time. He gathered his shadow to pick him up and carry him back to the tower where he would later be surprise at the absence of his "son".

**( - )**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well how's the story so far for you? Hope you guys enjoyed it. I loved this chapter cause of Gajeel/Levy interactions. Opinions on the chapter, comments, critics, please tell me. I want to know, so please review!
> 
> Next chapter Jose's discovery. Gajeel and Levy moments and fights with thieves and dark guild mages. Stay tune!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: FT not mine! It belongs to Hiro Mashima, I'm just playing with it.

Jose was surprised that his "son" didn't greeted him when he arrived, for it was a habit he had trained the boy to have since childhood. It was a way for him to immediately know where he was when he'd come home. He then started calling for him but no answer came. He searched the entire tower but there was no sign of the teen. He then remembered the fairy his men had lost.

"She knew how to rewrite runes. And she had mostly fell near the area. Could it be-" he didn't finish his sentence for anger had already entered his heart. His "son" must've left with the fairy and had disobeyed his orders! He immediately left the tower to search for his wayward "son", bring him back and make sure he will never leave again...

**(-)**

The two mages continued their journey out of the forest but most definitely not in silence. The shorter one of the two have been constantly pestering the dragonslayer with questions.

"So why'd you grow out your hair out?"

"..."

"Did you do the piercings by yourself?"

"..."

"Is black your favorite color?"

"..."

"Have you always been a jerk?" the bluenette asked irritatedly.

"Have you always been a shrimp?" the dragonslayer finally replied with a teasing grin.

"Geez no need to insult me, I was only asking questions," the script mage said with a pout.

"You're the one who called me a jerk first, short stack. And you were getting annoying with all the questions you ask."

"First, I have a name. It's Levy, L.E.V.Y, Le-Vy. Not shrimp or Shorty or any of the height related names. Secondly, I ask questions so I can get to know you better. We're travelling together so it's only natural for me to be curious about my companion."

"Shrimp, you should know that it was your curiosity that got you here in the first place."

"You know you're really mean for guy who's lived a sheltered life for eighteen years," Levy stated.

"Tch. And you must've know a lot of guys like me to be able to make that observa- shhhh." Gajeel suddenly halted and looked around the area suspiciously.

"What's wrong?" Levy whispered worriedly.

But Gajeel kept silent and stared at a particularly large group of bushes. He suddenly turned his arm into a sword surprising her companion and moved to attack the bushes that had just started rustling. Of course his attacked stopped when the culprit behind the movement showed itself to be a cute white rabbit.

"Watch out, I think it can smell fear," his blue haired companion teased. The raven head immediately changed his arm back and hurriedly walked away from his snickering companion, faced red as his tan skin could make. "Hey, I was only joking! Wait up!" she yelled as she ran to catch up with him.

Gajeel felt embarrassed with what he did, he had really thought he heard whispering beyond those bushes and trees, which explained the sword arm. Lily always told him that his sensitive ears would be able to help him sense danger from a mile away. A good trait to have when you were in the outside world. But what he hadn't expected was over relying on it and not be able to identify the noise that could belong to an ambush from the noise of a simple forest critter. What's worse was that the shrimp had to see his mistake and had the guts to laugh at him! It irritated him very much.

He felt the bluenette come near him, but he choose to ignore her presence until she spoke softly.

"I'm sorry."

This caught the young man by surprise and stopping him in his tracks. Why the hell is she apologizing?! He thought.

"I didn't mean to make fun of you like that," she continued. "I mean I know that you've been living in that tower all your life so being outside for the first time ever, I should've understood that you were just being cautious. It was terrible of me to laugh at your mistake. I'm really sorry," she said with great sincerity.

The raven-haired mage stared at her in disbelief, not at the other's sudden apology but at the other's entire existance. He grew up thinking that the world beyond where he lived was a cruel and dangerous place filled with just as vile individuals. But here standing in front of him was a woman that defied everything he was taught and told about people beyond the wall, sure Lily wasn't evil despite coming from the outside, but he always considered the exceed as an exception because he wasn't human. Now, the first human he had met besides his old man was showing him the exact opposite of everything his father said to him, making him wonder whether his old man had been lying to him all along or if the shrimp was simply just different. He didn't have time to ponder the thought for too long because his stomach let out a very loud growl.

Oh yeah, because of the shrimp's arrival he had totally forgotten to eat lunch. Fuck, can't he stop embarrassing himself in front of the petite mage? He questioned.

Levy giggled, which for the other sounded really heavenly, then said, "I guess we've been walking for quite some time now and our stomachs are beginning to complain." He didn't say anything to that comment instead he turned his head away to make sure the other didn't see the embarrassment written in his face. "Well, I guess we should get something to eat," she said with a smile.

"You got food with you?" Gajeel asked his eyes returning to the shorter mage.

"Nope, but I do know that there's a small pub-resto around here and that they serve wonderful food," she said far too enthusiastically for his taste.

"I thought you've never been to this forest before and even said that it's not safe, so how come you know about this pub?" he asked suspiciously.

The bluenette just laughed at his obvious accusation, and immediately explained herself. "Relax. I may not have been in this forest before but that doesn't mean I don't know people who have. And also you shouldn't worry about the place, where we're going, it's actually owned by a good friend of mine who also belongs to the same guild as me. So it'll be safe to go there and get something to eat." She still saw the doubt in raven head's eyes, so she tried go from another approach. "Trust me on this one, I assure you I'm not trying to trick you to get the crown back early. This place is completely safe, well maybe except during bar fights and the regular shady customers, but I'm sure Cana and the others can protect us from them. Besides, if I am trying to trick you, which I assure I am not, I'm sure you can fight your way through it. I mean I saw your magic earlier and I can tell that, that sword arm of yours was not for joke. So what do you say?"

He tried to weigh his options, he was hungry and a good meal wasn't unwelcome. But he knew that there was a huge possibility that the shrimp was lying and he could be ambushed and captured in the process. But he also knew that the shrimp was right and that he indeed could take on anyone if it came to it. Well the pros outweigh the cons. So there was nothing he can do about it other than to agree.

**(-)**

Levy was happy that her companion agreed to go to Fairy Tail pub with her, well sure they needed to get something to eat to restore their energies, but she did have an ulterior motive on going to FT pub. No, she had meant what she said that she wasn't trying to trick Gajeel so she can get the crown back, but it was more like to clench down her fear that had been with her ever since she was separated from her guildmates. She just needed to know if Jet and Droy were safe, and what better place to start looking for them and finding out about their conditions other than FT's pub-resto. It was actually once a small outpost that was built inside the dark forest to serve as lookout for unsavory dark mages that want to enter the kingdom. It became a pub when Cana, the woman that the master put incharge to guard the outpost started allowing random travellers to get drinks and rest there, and when Kinana joined her there, the place also started serving food. It was economical and logical for them, not only can they earn money from people but they can also get information from the idiotic customers who often forget what the place actually was and recklessly spill information during meals or in drunken stupor.

So yeah, she talked Gajeel into going in to the place to find out whether her friends made it out safe and also inform them that she was on her way back with the crown. But that didn't mean she was trying to go back on her promise about taking him to see the festival, she was just taking a short detour for them to get food and for her to get the uneasiness off her chest.

They finally arrived at the small pub-resto, that wasn't as small as she had initially thought. Actually it was bigger than she expected and wasn't exactly pub looking. If she were to give a say about it, the place looked like a small barn, because of the chickens that were clucking beside it, and she would've said that she was not at the right place if it weren't for the large sign at the large double door that said FT's pub-resto _(_ _ **A/N:**_ _Imagine the image what the guild looked like after the seven year disappearance of the Tenrou group, that's what this pub looked like, not the one from Tangled!_ ).

" _Wow, everyone had been holding out on her when they told her about the place,"_ she thought. She then looked at her companion and saw that he too wasn't expecting anything like this to be called a pub-resto, not that she was certain whether he knew what a pub-resto looked in the first place. But still she saw the sharp assessing crimson eyes scan the area, and thus she thought that she should try and console the guy before he thought that she was lying to him about the place.

"I know that it doesn't look like a pub-resto but I assure you that it is. I mean the name says so, right?"

"I never said that I doubted the place's authenticity, Shorty. I was merely checking the place out," he said with a teasing smirk that made the bluenette hot in places she should not feel hot on.

She realized by then that she was seriously dead attracted to the guy, and she was ashamed at herself for it, because she knew that if she did anything like pursuing anything romantic with him was like abusing his innocence, not that he looked innocent in the first place because of his piercings and all but she knew that he was, and that is just so despicable for her to do. She would be like a pervert trying to seduce a minor, and it was not something she wanted to compare herself with. She was busy with her inner musing that she didn't notice that her companion had been trying to get her attention for quite some time now.

"Oi, Shorty! You listening?!" he said far too loud and too near her face.

"Yes! And don't yell at me!" she screamed surprised and hurriedly backed away from the other causing her to tumble down on her butt.

"Gihehe!" he smirked looking down at the bluenette on the ground, "I wouldn't have yelled if you were listening, pipsqueak."

A tick appeared on her forehead at the annoying nickname and the fact she got laughed at. She immediately stood up to correct the dragonslayer. "I said my name is Lev-"

_***Bang!*** _

Was heard from the pub's door that had been roughly swung opened by something that was thrown from the inside which landed on the ground just right in front of the two and had stopped whatever words the script mage had wanted to say.

That something, which was actually a someone, immediately stood up from the ground while fire magically appeared on both arms, and yelled angrily, "Dammit ice princess you're gonna pay for that!"

"Natsu," Levy uttered recognizing the salmon haired boy in front of him.

"Huh?" was the other's reply after hearing his name get called then turning to face the blue haired mage. "Levy!" he said happily, "You're alright!"

Levy was about to explain her absence but was cut off by the appearance of another teen by the door. He had dark hair and was only wearing his boxer shorts. "What's keeping you flame brain? Thought you were gonna make me pay?" the boy said cockily.

"Grey, your clothes," a busty blonde haired woman said after appearing behind the dark haired teen.

"Lu-chan!" Levy called the blonde woman.

Surprise was clearly shown in the later's face as she saw the one who called her name. A reliefed smile appeared on her face as she said, "Levy-chan!" and immediately ran towards the short mage and hugged her. "You're alive!" she said, "We were so worried when Jet and Droy contacted us via lacrima saying that you guys were attacked by Phantom mages. Natsu, Grey, Erza and I immediately went to help but we couldn't find you. We were beginning to think that you've been captured."

"I wasn't captured, and I'm sorry for worrying you guys," the bluenette said removing herself from the embrace, "Are Jet and Droy here?"

"No. They were injured, so Mira sent them back to the guild to be healed. I'm sure that they will be thrilled to know you're alright."

"Me too! I'm glad they're alright!"

"Yehey," the forgotten raven haired dragonslayer said in mock happiness, before taking large steps towards the pub.

"Who's that?" the blonde asked.

"That's Gajeel. He's a- friend, and I'm taking him to see the Dragon Festival," Levy said with a wry smile, then followed the said mage inside.

The blonde blink a few times before a mischievous smile appeared in her face. "A friend, huh?" Then she followed the bluenette inside and leaving the salmon head and the nearly naked raven-head outside to finish their argument.

**(-)**

Little did the group know that in the shadows of the forest from which the duo had came from, eyes lurked and had silently been watching them. They had planned to attack the two earlier whilst they were in the forest, but were stopped by the keen sense of hearing by the taller one of the two, they had felt a sudden surge of powerful magic coming from the young man, and so they had decided to observe some more. When they had seen that the two had reached the infamous FT pub-resto, they had to rethink their plan. The pub was known to house strong mages and based on the interactions the two had with the new faces that came from the pub, it meant that they had more people to worry about before they could retrieve the object that they seek. A beeping was heard from one of the observer's pants of which was made by a small communication lacrima.

"Have you found the girl with the crown?" a rustic harsh voice resounded from the device.

"Yeah, master Jose we found her. Bad news though, she found her way to that pub. But not to worry, Master, we're gonna get that crown, once that little fairy leaves the pub."

"Was there anyone with her?" was the immediate question.

"Uh, yeah. She was with a guy, tall, with dark hair and had a lot of piercings."

"Is that so?" was said with such great anger and malice that the receiver of the call shivered in fear. There was a pause before the voice resounded again. "Change of plans. I'll be sending more men to you to attack the establishment. And aside from getting the crown, you will be capturing that young man the fairy came with."

The group shared a confused look, they didn't understand the reason behind the second order. But none was brave enough to voice their concern, so instead they settled with a simple, "Yes, master Jose."

**(-)**

Gajeel didn't know what to say about the occupants of the said pub-resto, before he went inside, there was obviously a fight going on inside but the moment he entered it all stopped and everyone seem to stare at him. He really wasn't used to seeing so many strangers, he had deduced after feeling that uncomfortable thing in his stomach which wasn't caused by hunger. But there'd be hell if he'd let these people know about it, he'd rather die than squirm at the intense and judging stares by these people.

"Who are you?" a beautiful and armored clad woman with red hair asked him with a dangerous glare.

The dragonslayer merely stared at redhead, a scowl etched on his face, but not because he didn't liked the tone she spoke with him, which was obviously one that was accusing him with something, but more because he didn't know how to respond. He was taught by his old man to practically attack anyone he felt that threatened him, which the woman had obviously had been doing, but he was also taught by Lily to respect women and not harm them because it wasn't what a real man( _A/N: Elfman reference anyone? Hehehe)_ would do, and he was eighteen, well almost, anyway he had begun to consider himself a man so he had to follow his friend's teachings. Which all lead to his current dilemma on how to respond to the redhead beauty.

Of course he must've been pausing for too long because the woman grew impatient and drew a swords out of thin air and pointed it at the dragonslayer.

"I shall ask again, who are you?" she said.

A growl escaped from his throat. Woman or not, he'd be damned if he'd let the bitch treat him like that. He was about to attack the redhead when a flop of blue hair stood in front of him and the woman.

"Erza, don't! He's with me!" Levy, who he finally recognized, told the scarlet beauty.

"Levy!" the redhead uttered in surprise. "You're alright!" she said as she embraced the bluenette in a tight and painful looking hug.

"Erza, too hard!" the bluenette stated underneath the red head's armor, of which the latter ignored.

After a couple more tighter and painful squeezes the redhead finally released the bluenette, who then released a sigh of relief.

"I'm glad you are unharmed," said the redhead, "When Jet and Droy came back without you everyone was worried, most especially when they said that you guys were attacked by Phantom mages. Master sent Natsu, Lucy, Grey and I to immediately find you."

"I'm sorry that I made you worried, and thanks for coming too. But as you can see I am okay and totally safe. And the best news is that I still have the crown with me!" Levy announced proudly.

"That's good news. We really thought we had to attack the Phantom's base to get that thing back," a beautiful brunette who was indecently dressed with only a bra to cover her top said approaching the pair from the bar.

"Cana," Levy smiled at the woman, "Long time no see."

"I'd say. Though this ain't how I imagine seeing you again Levy. Glad you're okay by the way," she said then she placed her elbow on the bluenette's shoulder and leaned near her ear. "Anyway, who's the hottie with you?" she asked nodding her head at Gajeel's general direction.

The bluenette blushed at the word 'hottie' but still answered the brunette's question. "Um guys, this is Gajeel. I met him while escaping from the Phantom mages, and now I'm sorta escorting him to see the Dragon Festival," she vaguely told the group, trying to avoid mentioning being threatened and bolted to a chair part.

"Escort?" Lucy, who had just joined the group, repeated raising a dubious brow at her friend.

"Yeah, escort, blondie," Gajeel's gruff voice resounded, joining the conversation. "Got a problem with that," he growled threateningly, making Lucy back away from him, and Erza and Cana take defensive stances.

Tension filled the room as the trio gazed at each other, the redhead and brunette each stared analytically at the dark haired man, while the same man used his other heightened senses to assess the the two women in front of him. He immediately could tell that they were no ordinary women. He could sense immense magically powers from the two, especially from the redhead. A new feeling entered him, one that he knew quite well. The strange feeling of excitement and adrenaline coursing through his veins that he associated when he felt that he was about to get into a really good fight with Lily. A sadistic smile graced his lips, and unknown to even himself, his eyes turning to a slight yellow, which desturbed the group even more.

"Guys, STOP IT!" Levy's voice penetrated through the tense environment. She then faced her male companion. "Gajeel, stop acting all threatening. That's not how it goes here on the outside of your home, you'd end up fighting everyone you'd meet with that attitude," she chastened, surprising everyone of her friends. Then she faced her other friends. "Erza, Cana, you two should be ashamed of yourselves. I bought Gajeel here hoping to get us a good meal and also to assure you guys that I was safe, not for you to immediately question him and make him feel the need to fight you guys. He's not used to being around many people but I can assure you that he's not a threat. Like I said he's with me, I think that's enough assurance for you to trust him." She crossed her arms and glared at her friends.

"Giheehee." An unusual laughed escaped from the raven-haired man s lips. "Did I ever tell ya, you look adorable when yer mad, Shrimp?" he said casually and with a smirk, not knowing the effects those words had on his female companion.

But Levy's friends on the other hand had not miss the blush that crossed the script mage's face. In fact it had surprised them that the expression was present in the first place. In all the years they had known the script mage, they had never seen her dawn such cute and obviously affected expression towards anyone of the opposite sex. It made the group realize that the stranger may be someone more important to the script mage than she had let on.

A cough got the three out of they reverie. "Anyway," Levy started trying to compose herself a bit, "As I said earlier, Gajeel and I stopped here to get something to eat, guys, and also so I'd be able to contact Jet and Droy to tell them I'm alright."

"Well, 'right then! I'll get you two something warm to eat," Cana said as she started to turn towards the bar counter, but stop mid step and turned her head slightly to face the Gajeel. "Oh, and welcome to Fairy Tail, studly." She winked at the confused raven head and sashayed sexily away from the group.

"Come on, let's sit at that vacant table over there," the bluenette said as she grabbed his elbow and drag him to the said table. Then she half faced her other two friends and spoke to them. "Lu-chan, Erza, you two can join us. I'd like to borrow your communication lacrima so I can talk to Jet and Droy," she said with a smile. The redhead simply nodded while the other smiled back and both followed the pair towards the table.

Gajeel for one was once again stomped. He had no idea what had happened. One moment he was preparing for the eminent possibility of a battle, next thing he knew, he was sitting on a table next to the same women who he felt threatened earlier. This day couldn't get any weirder, though for some reason he wasn't really complaining about such a thing. As a matter of fact he was actually enjoying this day's strange adventure. All his life he was taught to fear or hate the world beyond the magic wall. He was taught that people beyond it were cruel, evil and selfish, and would use him for his unique powers if they ever find out about him. But so far today no one seemed to be that way for him. In fact it looked like his father had exaggerated everything he said about the world outside.

Gajeel eyed the women at the table. Despite his earlier dispute with the said women in this pub-resto, they seem to be an alright people now that he got to see them without the earlier present aggression. The redhead, who he learnt was called Erza, seemed tough but her demeanor had taken a swift curve when the scanty dress brunette named Cana arrived at their table with their food and a plate of strawberry cake. The redhead's eyes suddenly sparkled and started happily eating the said cake, while the brunette sat on the edge of the table and started downing a large barrel of what Gajeel could smell as alcohol while ordering the other patrons of the pub to shut up. Gajeel then eyed the busty blond, who was busy talking to his blue haired companion, who was also talking to someone on a communication lacrima. She seem to jump and squirm at his gaze that reminded Gajeel of a bunny he and Lily once hunted. She seem to be the least threatening in the group, well excluding the shrimp who was still talking to someone on the communication lacrima Erza let her borrow.

His attentioned turned to the rest of the pub's patrons. Everyone seemed to return to their food and drinks and minded their own businesses shortly after they had settled on the table. Some chatted with one another, and no one appeared to be interested in him anymore, a fact that surprised him further. He thought for sure that everyone would know about his secondary magic. His father had told him once that people beyond the wall would easily recognize him especially during the moment they would sense his magic. He said that he had a unique aura that would immediately give away his identity. He had been prepared earlier to fight his way around the entire pub's patrons if they began to show any interests in him but everyone only seemed to see him only as an intruder not as a valuable item that could be used to increase their magic. And again he started doubting his old man's words.

" _ **The world is a dark, cruel place and everyone will only use you for what you are, Gajeel-kun. No one will care to even know who you are and would only care for what you can do for them. That is why it is safer for you to stay here, my boy. Here is where you are loved, protected and safe.**_ "

His father's words rang in his ears, but now they all seem false.

" _The world ain't dark, dad. Heck, even the people in it aren't all bad. So why the hell would you even say those stuff to me?_ "

Of course he knew the answer but he somehow refused to believe in it. He refused to believe his father had been lying to him all these years, and he refused to think that his father didn't do it all for the sake of his safety at all. But for some reasons these were the only truths he could come up with.

"Hey, you okay, big guy?" a drunken voice called him out from his thinking.

He looked up and saw that the women in the table had been staring at him.

"What?" he asked dumbly.

The brunette chuckled and asked again. "Was asking whether or not yer okay. You looked a bit too scary with that contemplative face of yours. Is it the food? Cause if that's so, I can ask Kinana to change your order."

"Uh-yeah. I mean, no need to change anything. Food's good. And I was just thinking of something."

"And what were you thinking?" Levy asked him sounding slightly concerned, which confused him because had no idea why she would be concerned for him.

Of course, instead of showing his confusion, he simply played it cool and allowed a smirk to cross his lips. " _Better not let the shrimp on what his thoughts were truly were,"_ he thought.

"Well, 'was thinking when we planning on leaving this joint. Thought we needed to get this stupid crown back before tomorrow, otherwise we ain't gonna have the festival this year."

"We'll leave right after we finish eating," she answered while returning the communicator lacrima to the redhead and started picking on her food before stuffing it on her mouth.

"Guess we better hurry eating then," the raven head mumbled turning his attention back to his food and started eating again.

"Why are you so dead set on going to the festival anyway, big guy?" Cana asked offhandedly.

But the questioned still surprised the dragonslayer, he wasn't sure what to say, but he saw no reason to lie to the woman so he told her the truth, well at least half the truth.

"It's a dream of mine to see a real dragon," he said as he stuffed a piece meat on his mouth. He paused to chew and swallow his food before continuing. "I heard about real dragons showing themselves during the festival and I want to see them for myself."

"You'd never seen a dragon before?" the blonde bunny girl suddenly asked.

Gajeel stared at her with a raised brow that made her once again jump and moved closer to her red haired companion. The raven head smirked at the reaction he was making the blonde the make. It was a bit satisfying that he was able to inflict a bit of fear to random strangers. He still answered the question though.

"Naw, I ain't seen a dragon before. I merely read 'bout them in books and from what I read they are pretty cool and strong too."

"You read books?" Levy asked a bit surprise at the info.

"You know where I'm from, Shorty, what do you think besides training would a guy do to get away from boredom?"

A blush appeared on the bluenette's face, before shyly saying, "I read books too on my free time."

"I know, ya told me you read a lot, remember? And I still think you're amazingly smart for a shrimp after seeing ya read really old foreign language. I mean, even my old man had to use though translator glasses to read 'em," Gajeel said nonchalantly as he stuffed more food on his mouth.

**(-)**

Levy looked more and more like a blue haired tomato after that comment and was forced to looked down on her plate, practically missing her friends' surprised and amused faces. Frankly she was surprised herself. It was't new for her to have people complimenting her brains and abilities in translating ancient texts. Sometimes she'd humble out or just smile at them gratefully, but for some reasons the words from the gruff man like Gajeel was making her heart beat faster, knees grow weaker, (Thank the gods she was sitting at that moment.), and face go redder. It was something she has never experience before in all her seventeen years of her wizard existence, and she had an inkling of why she was feeling this way.

" _I can't possibly be falling for him, I just met the guy!_ " she told herself.

" _So? It's not your fault you met a guy who's crazy handsome and totally hot at the same time!_ " The naughty Levy voice in my head said.

" _Shut up! He's a really innocent guy that's spent all his life trapped in his own home! He doesn't need women flinging themselves at him!_ " Levy told the naughty part of her head.

While the young bluenette was busy mentally arguing with herself, she had failed to noticed that someone was already flinging herself at her companion.

"So, you really want to see real dragons, huh?" Cana asked the young raven haired man while leaning over the table towards him and showing off her large breasts in the process.

"Uh-yeah. Like I said, it's my dream since I was a kid," Gajeel answered looking confused at the brunette's behavior while moving away from her.

"Well, big guy, I'm sort of really good at fulfilling people's dreams," she stated suggestively while tracing her finger on the teens muscular bicep. "What do you say, big guy, want to give it a try? I can make sure you get all your wildest dreams come true," she whispered on the Dragonslayer's ear, who in turn just tilted his head for he had not understood what the scantily dress mage was trying to say.

_***Crack!*** _

The two mages attention drifted towards the other side of the table, where the sound came from. They found out that it was Levy who made the noise with a wooden spoon which had been split and was laying on her hand.

"Oops! I guess I don't know my own strength," the bluenette said sweetly. "Ne, Cana-chan, why don't you go back to the kitchen and get me another spoon. Please," she told the card mage all while maintaining the sweet smile while a terrible dark aura loomed from behind her.

"Uh-sure, Levy, I'll go get it immediately," she told her blue haired friend nervously. This was the first time she had ever seen their sweet script mage act this way and quite frankly even she was scared of it.

"Oh, and while you're at it, why don't you change in to clothes that are less revealing. After all, this place isn't a strip club, we wouldn't want customers thinking otherwise, ne?" The bluenette's eyes narrowed at the older woman, making the said woman gulp in fear and immediately agreeing to what the script mage suggested. She left the group and went back towards the door where the kitchen was.

When Cana left the script mage finally relaxed and turned to face her current travelling companion, who had watched the exchange in confusion, and deliberately ignored her friends' surprised and a bit of frightened expressions.

"What was that about?" Gajeel asked her.

"What was what about?" she asked back, pretending not to understand what the young man was asking and all while trying to hide the obvious fear that her actions could be misinterpreted by the Dragonslayer.

"That woman said she wanted to make my wildest dreams come true, what did she mean by wildest dreams? Isn't the Dragon Festival a wild dream already?" he asked her with an innocent and totally clueless expression.

This question of course, only seemed to fuel the young script mage's earlier views of the young man in front of her being innocent to the intimate ways of the world.

"Ga-ga-gajeel, do-do-don't take wa-what Ca-cana said seriously. She's know for her comedic tendencies," the blue haired mage said trying not to say anything that could ruin the man's innocence as much as she can.

"So that was a joke?" he asked.

"Yeah!" she answered him all too eagerly.

"Then why wasn't anyone laughing?" he eyed her suspiciously.

"Oh, I never said she was that good of a comedianne!" His suspicious look didn't falter though and Levy had began to curse her drunkard friend for what she had done.

Fortunately for the script mage, the young Dragonslayer's attention didn't last long on her for the pub's door opened and three mages entered the establishment. The first two were the two mages who had been fighting outside earlier while the last one was being held by the two of them.

"Natsu, Grey, what is the meaning of this?" the redheaded woman at Levy and Gajeel's table asked.

"Natsu sniffed this guy out by the woods-" the dark haired one of the trio, Gray, started explaining, "-and we thought of questioning him why he was sneaking around."

"And that's when we found out-" the salmon haired one of the three said as he removed the third guy's cloaked arm, revealing to the group the symbol of Fiore's most well known dark guild, "-he's a Phantom Mage!"

Everyone inside the pub gasped at the revelation.

"What's a Phantom Mage?" Gajeel asked his blue haired companion.

"They're Fiore's most despicable dark guild mages. They hurt, maim and kill innocent people, all for the sake of being in the highest power. They are evil and are led by Fiore's oldest and most powerful dark wizard, The Phantom," Levy answered.

"The Phantom?"

"He's called that because no one really knows what his real name is nor have they seen him in person," Lucy supplied the answer to the second question.

"He also attacks using shadow magic, hence earning him the moniker Phantom," Cana continued as she reappeared from the kitchen wearing a blazer that covered her swimsuit uppers. She then turned to faced the captured Phantom Lord mage and aimed one of her flaming cards at him. "What is a Phantom wizard doing all the way here? You better start answering or I'll start burning parts of you I know you don't want burned."

The wizard looked affected by the threat, as he was shivering on the hands of his two captors.

"Please! I can't tell you! They'll kill me!" he begged.

"And do you really think that we would be more merciful?" Erza asked pointing a sharp blade on the captive mage's neck. "Speak!"

"We were told by our master to retrieve the crown and take the- ugh!" The mage gargled the last part for he suddenly slumped as a flaming arrow was embedded on his back.

The rest of the mages inside the pub turned towards the door as more arrows were shot inside pub-restro.

"Everyone, get out of the way!" Erza told everyone.

The mages inside the pub all did their best to try and avoid the flaming arrowsx they either hid from them under the tables, used their magic to either sheild themselves or deflect the arrows. But then, while the mages were busy trying to avoid getting hit, the attackers from outside all suddenly entered the establishment, most came through the double door entrance of the pub while others through the pub's windows. The dark guild mages started attacking the pub's patrons using their own individual magic.

_***Swish!*** _

_***Boom!*** _

_***Clang!*** _

A battle of magic and skills happened within the confines of the pub-restro Each mage fought their own enemies and they all fought hard.

Meanwhile Levy, who had just finished knocking out her own opponent, frantically started looking for her travelling companion. She had been so busy earlier trying to defeat the mage that had attacked her that she had not noticed what had happened to him. She turned to the window just in time to see a couple of the dark Phantom wizards carrying the unconscious form of Gajeel.

"Gajeel!" she cried as she saw them leave the building.

"Levy-chan!" Lucy called after the bluenette, "Go! We'll take care of these scumbags! Save Gajeel and get the crown back!"

Levy nodded and immediately ran after the group who took Gajeel. She used her strongest magic spells to help clear the path to get to her new friend.

" **Tsunami**!" A large amount of water suddenly appeared on from her worded spell and began washing away the mages that stood in front of her. " **Accelerate**!" She casted the words on herself and suddenly her running speed increased, allowing her to immediately run outside to follow the two mages who had Gajeel.

When she was outside she saw the that they were on the process of loading her companion on a giant eagle. She had to think fast and stop the two. She knew that if she used her most powerful spells she could accidentally hit Gajeel, so she decided to attack using the simple ones.

" **Fire**!" she casted as the word Fire appeared in front of her and its flames connecting straight towards the enemy mages.

It was a simple spell so it did not do much damage to her opponents. But it was enough to get them distracted and lose hold of her unconscious travel partner. When she saw that Gajeel was no longer in their arms she immediately casted, " **Inferno** " at the two. The swirling flames from her spell was enough to fling her opponents away from Gajeel and also giving her the opportunity to do another powerful attack to ensure that they stay unconscious. " **Lightning**!"

When the spell was over and her opponents were obviously alive but knocked out, she immediately rushed to the dark haired mage.

"Gajeel!" she cried out, while she tried to shake awake the young man. "Please wake up! Please!" she begged, as tears brimmed on her eyes. "Gajeeell!"

"Aaah!" the young man woke with a start. He began breathing heavily as he laid on the floor and stared up to the bluenette.

"Thank god, you're okay," she said as tears of joy freely fell from her face.

"Shrimp?" the young man questioned, not really certain of what had happened. Before suddenly sitting up as he remembered everything. "The dark mages!" he cried out.

"Easy, easy, Gajeel. You're safe now. They're not gonna hurt you any more," she said slowly as she tried to calm down the young man. "See, they're unconscious now." She pointed at the two knocked out wizards.

Gajeel stared disbelief at the unconscious, charred and still smoking bodies of the two wizards who had tricked him, captured him earlier and had nearly taken him away somewhere most likely to try and harness his secondary magic.

"You did that?" he asked the blue haired script mage with a hint of disbelief in his voice.

"Yeah, I did," she said looking really embarrassed all of a sudden. "They were trying to kidnap you and I couldn't let them take you, so-well, I did that."

"But why?"

"Why what, Gajeel?"

"Why would you save me?" he asked.

Levy looked taken aback by his question.

" _Why did you save him?_ " A voice in her head asked.

She wasn't really sure how she should answer that question other than to tell him the truth of how she felt-

"I did it because I am responsible for you Gajeel. I took you out of that tower, so I should be the one to ensure your safety," she said with conviction, before her brown orbs slowly softened. "But aside from that I did it because even though I just met you, Gajeel, I had began to care about what happens to you," she told him shyly.

**(-)**

Her last words had been a big surprise for him. He had no idea how to respond to that.

She cared about him even though she had just met him? How is that even possible?

The very idea was very much against everything his father had taught him. His words about how no one in this world was kind and genuine in their desires to help others was being contradicted by the woman in front of him, and he was very confused about how to feel about that. On one hand he was angry at her for making him doubt his father's words, on the other he was strangely happy about being the object of her kindness and affection. Of course he chose to keep those feelings to himself and opted to look away from the blue haired mage.

"Right, whatever," he said as he immediately stood up and straightened his tunic and avoided looking at her face that had such a cute smile on it. "Anyway, what do we do next? Should we go back to that pub and check out on your friends?"

"I don't think there's a need for that anymore, considering that Ezra, Natsu, Grey and Cana are there. Those guys would be enough to take care of those Phantom mages. What we need to do is focus on getting that crown back to the palace so we can have the Dragon Festival," she announced with a wider smile.

"You sure about that, Shrimp?"

"Yes, Gajeel. I trust my Guildmates and I know they are all strong enough to defeat those mean mages. So we can go now, after all we only have a couple hours to go before we can get to the Magnolia," she told him as she walked.

The raven haired teen nodded and began following the young blue haired mage. They walked until they reached a small hanging bridge on top of a clearing that had a large dam that flowed with running river water on the underneath. The two mages stopped as Levy explained where they were.

"This is the last part of our journey. Over this bridge lies the gate entrance to the City of Magnolia," she said with a smile and she continued walking.

Gajeel smiled back at the bluenette. He was beginning to feel even more excited. He was close now to finally fulfilling his dream. He can finally go to the Dragon Festival and see an actual real dragon, and somehow that thought, even though he was happy to fulfill it, suddenly saddened him.

"What's wrong?" Levy's voice penetrated his inner musings.

He opened his mouth to answer but stopped as he suddenly felt a surge of magic from beneath them. He hurriedly picked up the script mage and jumped away from the ground they stood moments earlier which had suddenly turned into sand.

"Non, non, non, non! This is the second time today my attack was predicted by someone!" A voice said from from the ground they had vacated from. Then from that said area an human being formed from the sand. "Non, non, non, non! This is clearly unacceptable!"

"It is so sad, indeed!" a second voice rebounded from above the two mages. They both turned and saw that it was a large man wearing a priest attire was the one who said those words.

"Well, not anymore, Aria, cause it looks like that we found ourselves the little fairy that made a fool out of us earlier and the guy Master wants us to take along with the crown," a third person resounded from behind the duo, and the owner of the voice had violet flames coming from his hand. "Come on, little fairy, you're surrounded again. Only this time there'll be no thick woods to stop your fall from death. So why don't you finally be the smart little fairy you are and just hand over the crown and your companion!"

Gajeel tensed at her side. He knew they were outnumbered and from what he felt from these three mages, it was also obvious that they were also outmatched, so he knew that the only solution was for his companion to give him and the crown up. So he braced himself for her betrayal and also readied himself to fight his way to save himself. But, once again, his companion surprised him.

"Ha! Haven't you stupid Phantom mages learned by now?! I am a proud Fairy tail mage! And there is no way I'll ever surrender the crown or Gajeel to losers like you! **Flash**!" she casted the last spell above her that had suddenly emited a blinding white light that had affected all their enemy mages. "Let's go, Gajeel!" She took his hand and the two sprinted towards the bridge.

"Dammit! You're not getting away that easy, little fairy!" the flame Phantom mage yelled as he released a powerful violet fire ball towards the direction of the bridge burning the rope of the said bridge.

When the bridge finally broke the two mages fell. But luckily Levy still had a few spells up her sleeves.

" **Slow! Float! Levitate!** " she yelled the spells that all helped softened their descent.

They both went down with a soft thud on the shallow water of the river. Levy stood up tiredly and wad breathing heavily. Gajeel noticed his companion's condition and began to worry about her.

"You okay, Shrimp?" he asked eying the tired script mage.

He was unable to get an answer though for the other three dark mages immediately descended on them, blocking their path.

"She's been doing far too much magic already and the poor thing is already at her limit. She's got no more energy to do anymore spells," the flame mage explained.

"So sad!" Aria said.

"Non, non, non, non, non! It is finally the end of the line for you now, mademoiselle fairy."

Gajeel clenched his fists, hating the situation they were in. He knew he had to do something to save them, but what?

"Gajeel," his companion called him out softly, "I still have one more spell on my arsenal. It's not strong enough to defeat them but it'll be enough to distract all three of them. When I do that, I want you to run towards those trees, they lead straight to town, then I want you to go immediately towards Fairy Tail guild. Tell them what happened and I'm sure they will help you from there on out."

"Wait, you want me to leave you?!" He gave her an incredulous look.

"I'm sorry, Gajeel. I know it's not what we had agreed on, but I can't protect the two of us now. That's why you need to run." She looked at him pleadingly that nearly broke the Dragonslayer's heart.

"Hahaha!" the fire mage laughed, "You really think that you'd have a spell that could get us all distracted enough for him to escape? You're stupider than I pegged you to be, little fairy."

"It's so sad! But there is no way we'd let your friend escape."

"No one's escaping, assholes," Gajeel stated with a growl.

"Gajeel," Levy whispered worriedly.

"Don't worry, Shrimp, I got a plan. Gihehe," he smirked while moving forward towards his enemies.

"You think you can take all three of us, huh, big guy?" the flame mage asked with a sneer.

"Tsk, as much as I think I could, but that ain't exactly what I plan to do, ya idiots," Gajeel said before inhaling very deeply. " **Iron Dragon** -" he stated making all four mages' eyes widened in realization of what the attack was going to be. " **Roar**!"

Three dark guild mages barely moved away from the powerful attack, but they did and were all surprised at the damage it could have inflicted on them.

"Non, non, non, non! Master, never said anything about him being Dragonslayer!"

"It is such an unfortunate and sad surprise!"

"It doesn't matter, because he ain't gonna get a chance to surprise us again!"

"You sure about that, idiots?" Gajeel's malicious smirk was enough to alarm the three mages.

A loud crack was then heard from behind the three and simultaneously they turned to the that the attack had hit the dam behind them cracking it and slowly breaking it. It didn't take long for the entire thing to finally fall to pieces and release the river water it had on its hold.

"Run!" The fire mage told his companions but it was too late for the river's water had already reached and swiped them away.

Meanwhile, Gajeel had taken Levy and was already running away from the powerful river current. He knew they didn't have time to reach the forest that the script mage indicated where the town was earlier so instead they ran towards an opened mining shaft thinking they would be safe there. Thr river's water arrived at the mining shaft and because of its powerful current it was able to move the beams that had supported the shaft's entrace letting its entire walls to cave in and sealing the two mages inside.

**(-)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, that's it for now. Hope it was alright, if not, at last leave a review and tell me how you felt about it. For those who enjoyed the chapter, also leave a review and tell me what you thought about it. Overall I just want to say is thank you and leave an review. Trust me, more reviews fuel my muse! Thanks for reading.
> 
> Next Chapter: Gajeel's big revelation to Levy about his magic, meeting the rest of Fairy Tail group, and finally The Dragon Festival, all that along with Jose's evil plan to get Gajeel back! Stay tune! And hope to see you at the next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone! Wow, I actually finished and posted a new chapter! Hurray for me. I'd say sorry for the lateness but really, I can't because it'd be redundant. I am late and I don't think I'll be able to do anything about that. Real life has really gotten in the way with my writing, I am just happy I got to finish this one. Anyway, just want to thank you, my lovely readers for following, favoriting and reviewing this fic. It is really appreciated. So without further ado, enjoy this update! Happy reading!

 

**(-)**

Levy opened her eyes and found that she could not see a thing. She tried not to panic and tried to remember where she was and what had happened to her. She knew she was laying down on something hard and very wet. Moving her hands, she felt that whatever it was she was laying on was actually alive and breathing. A groan was heard.

"Shrimp?" a gruff voice came from the person, which she had already sussed that she was laying on underneath her.

Upon hearing the voice, Levy immediately remembered what had happened.

"Gajeel!" she cried as she jumped off the young man beneath her. She moved too fast and had hit the back of her head on the hard cave wall behind her. "Ow," she uttered as she rubbed her injured head that was already forming a big lump.

She heard water splashing in front of her and she guessed that it was her companion looking around the little space their were confined in.

"Shit! Looks like we're trapped," he said.

"You think?" she replied sarcastically. She was angry at the man that she could not see in front of her. She really blamed him for what had happened, had he only listened to her when she told him to run earlier, none of this would've happened.

"Oi, why the hell do you sound angry?!" he asked her.

"Why do you think? Gajeel, I asked you to leave me and run away. I had wanted you to save yourself! But-no, you had to be the hero and now we're stuck here!" she yelled at him.

"The hell?! Me not running away wasn't about wanting to be hero, it was me trying to find a way to save your ungrateful ass from those mages. Why the fuck are you angry anyway?! You should be fucking thanking me instead of blaming me for what happened to us!"

"I didn't need you to save me! I needed you to be safe! That was the entire point of my plan! It was to get you as far away from those crazy mages as possible-"

"And your plan would've gotten you killed! In case you didn't notice but those mages killed that guy back at that pub, and he was one of their own, what makes you think that they'd spare you if I had left you there?"

"My plan wasn't about my life being spared, my plan was about making sure you didn't get hurt!" she announced with a loud voice that vibrated throughout the small cave they were in. "It was all about ensuring you were safe and away from harm. It was about making sure they didn't get you. That was all I wanted, Gajeel."

"But why? Why would you do that for me?" Gajeel asked feeling confused at the young maiden mage's actions yet again.

"I already told you why. I care for you, and when I start caring for someone, I would do anything for them. That's just how I am. You can ask my friends. They'll all back me up, at least they would if you had a chance to meet the rest of them," she said the last part with a sad tone. "So you see why I wanted to do it? Why I wanted to save you? It was because I hate seeing the people I care about get hurt, because that's the kind of person I am."

He fell silent after that. Levy began to wonder if she had done something to offend him or not.

"Knowing how clueless I am about someone who's spent his entire life in that wall like him, maybe I had." She opened her mouth to apologize but the dragonslayer beat her to it.

"Sorry," he said surprising the bluenette.

"For what?" she asked, really not certain why he was apologizing.

"For yelling at you, for always questioning your motives, for not being a good companion in this trip. You've been nothing but helpful throughout this entire journey, but I have been nothing but trouble. So yeah, I apologized." His gruff voice faltered making Levy smiled because she knew he was probably embarrassed at having to apologize. She could actually imagine the young man's tan skin grow a shade darker because he could be blushing. But at the same time her admiration towards the other man grew for now that she knew that despite his ragged and bad ass appearance laid a humble and gentle person.

"It's okay. I don't hold all of your actions against you. You've lived a sheltered life and I guess you had a right to not know how to properly act around other people. So yeah, I forgive you." She paused and then added, "Although, maybe I would appeciate if you would laid of on the height related nicknames."

"Gihe, not a chance, Short stacks." She could actually hear the grin in his voice.

Levy smiled and pretended to shrug nonchalantly. "It was worth a shot," she told him.

Another moment of silence passed between the two before Levy spoke again.

"We really need to find a way out of this place, Gajeel. I think the water below us is slowly rising," she told him.

"Yeah, one problem, how are we gonna do that? We can't even see our own hands much less a way out."

Levy grew silent as she tried to assess her magic. She knew she had very little energy left in her. So a Luminate or a Light spell was out of the question. The only spell she knew she can still do with what energy that remained in her was a simple-

" **Solid Script: Glow!** " she casted and the word came to life and brought light inside the small cave. "Alright, this is one of my weakest spells, it's not gonna last long so let's hurry and find a way out of here, Gajeel," she told her companion.

They turned to their own corners and hurriedly searched for a way out.

"Hey, Shrimp, I think I found the cave's entrance that's been sealed off. I think I can lift these rocks out and get us out of here," the Dragonslayer said.

"Entrance to this cave?" Levy repeated before a horrible realization dawned on her. "Gajeel, don't remove those rocks!" she screamed at him but it was too late, the raven haired teen had already taken one and from the hole that was made by that single rock, water immediately gushed inside the cave.

"Shit!" Gajeel cursed as he tried to put the rock back, but it was too late. The water was already entering and the cave was steadily filling it up with more water.

Levy approached her companion and tried to help him seal off the gap, but instead of sealing it off their combined strength had only made the other rocks give way and more water came in. Levy tried to think as fast as she could for a solution but none came to her. So instead she ordered her companion to search for a secondary exit. They left that part of the cave an tried to look for another exit, but then as they searched they both noticed that their light was getting dimmer and dimmer until it finally blew out.

**(-)**

"Dammit!" Gajeel cursed again. He was beyond frustrated. Not only had his earlier plan to save them blew up in his face but now it was gonna be the cause of their eminent death.

" _How could I be so stupid_?!" he asked himself angrily. But he immediately clenched that anger down, knowing it was not the time and place to lose his cool. They still needed to get out of there. So he then turned to his companion, who he knew would know what to do next.

"What are we gonna do now, Shorty?" he asked her.

But Levy didn't answer him, and it was then he began to really panic.

" _Did something happened to her while I wasn't looking_?" he asked as he tried to mindlessly searched the small cave for his companion. The water was affecting his enhanced senses so he stuck to wadding around to look for her. "Shorty! You still there?!"

He called out. Within the darkness he heard a small sob at one part of the cave. It had been that small sound that had informed the Dragonslayer of his companion's location and that she as upset.

"Shrimp?" he called as he slowly swam, because the water was already above his chest, to her side by following the smell of her tears, that was the only thing that was different within the cave.

He touched her shoulder, that were already under the water, and the contact was what finally made the blue haired mage release all the tears she had been trying to hold back.

"I-I'm s-so-sorry, Gajeel!" she said in between sobs, "This is all my fault! I-if my team hadn't gotten the crown stolen in the first place none of this would've happened! A-and if I hadn't gone to investigate your tower, y-you n-never would've left in the first place, and y-you would've b-b-been safe there a-and not here stuck with a weak script mage like me in a c-cave that is filling up with w-water! I-I'm sorry!" She cried harder as she ended her apology.

The young Dragonslayer had no idea what to do. He had ever comforted anyone before. Lily wasn't the type who showed any need for comfort, as was his father, so seeing someone like the Shrimp cry, he was flummoxed on what to say to her. He knew that the young woman in front of him was not at fault of all that had happened to them that day. He may not know about how the crown got stolen but he was certain that the script mage wasn't at fault on what had happened or even should be blamed for it. She was smart and though her magic wasn't strong, Gajeel knew she was not weak. So she shouldn't blame herself for that. As for the part of her not coming to his tower-

"Stop it," he said, making him winced as he realized that it was a bit too harsh than he had intended, but he continued anyway. "Stop blaming yourself. All this ain't yer fault. I mean, maybe you had gotten the crown stolen but ya got it back, didn't ya? So that kind of evens things. And as for me leaving my home, don't blame yerself fer that too! I choose to leave that place! I choose to disobey my old man. Ya didn't make me come with ya, I made you take me with ya, remember? So stop feelin' sorry fer yerself, 'cause this ain't like ya, Shorty. Yer not weak, I mean, 'saw what ya did to those mages earlier and those spell of yers aren't to be messed with. Those spells were something, you ARE something! So just stop, okay? Stop this pathetic phase of yers and start acting like the cute, spunky and intelligent little Shrimp that I know you are and start thinking of a way to get us out of here!"

He still couldn't see her face, nor could he tell whether what he said was able to helped her or not, but Gajeel nervously waited anyway. It wasn't until he felt her twitch under his hands that he finally got the reaction he wanted.

"You're right, Gajeel. This isn't the time to feel sorry for myself. This is a time to think of a way out of here," she told him as she swam away from him.

He felt movement on the water in front of him and it made him wonder what the bluenette was doing. When he didn't feel any more movement he finally began to worry about the other mage, most especially since he could no longer reach the cave's floor with his feet and he could now actually touch the cave's ceiling.

"Shorty?" he called out again and when he got no answer he began to think the worse. " _Shit! Don't tell me she drowned because she's too short to be able to swim properly_?!" he thought in panic.

He then began to swim around the cave, calling out his companion's name for any sign of her still alive, when he got none he began to feel his chest tightened at the thought of the other mage's death.

"Dammit, Shrimp, say something!" he screamed as a last attempt to communicate to his companion.

Suddenly he felt water splash on his face and he realized that the little mage had actually gone underwater while he was there worrying for the damned thing. He was about to reprimand her for what she did, but she had cut him off.

"Fucking shit! It's too dark down there!" she stated, surprising the Dragonslayer by her sudden foul language. Any other time, the raven head mage knew he would've teased her for using such words.

"Yeah, we kind of established that, Short stack, though I'm surprised that you still bothered going down in the first place."

"There's a way out of here down there that is not where we came from earlier. I think it's a secondary exit only it's blocked. If we remove those rocks, I know we can get out of here."

"How the hell do you know about a secondary exit?" he had to ask her, because he knew that they had been looking for it earlier but didn't find it.

"I know because I just realized that while we had been stuck inside earlier, the water that was inside before we opened the shaft and let the rest of the water in hadn't really risen more than a few inches from our ankles. It made me realize that there must have been a place where the water went while we had been unconscious. Also, I remember reading in a book that mines near the dam all have secondary exits that miners used to leave the caves. Usually they are created merely three feet in diameter just enough for the miners to get out."

"Damn, you remember all that? Shorty, you really are amazing!" he couldn't help but tell her and unknowingly illiciting a blush from his companion.

"Well, I'd be more amazed with myself if I can think of a way to actually find that exit! But it's too damn dark down there and we have no source of light!" she exclaimed, sounding frustrated again.

"Source of light?" Gajeel repeated, sounding a bit contemplative. "Fuck! I'm an idiot!" he suddenly said slapping his forehead in the process. "Shrimp, I think we got ourselves a source of light!" he told her.

She was about to ask what he meant but the water had already reached the top of the cave finally submerging the two of them. She closed her eyes as she waited for her lungs to give out from the lack of oxygen. Then suddenly she saw a light from underneath her eyelids making her open them. She was surprised at what she saw that she nearly blew out all of the air she kept inside her.

Gajeel's entire body was glowing!

But he didn't bother to answer her questioning look and instead he went to search for the secondary exit that his companion had mentioned earlier. He looked down and saw it. A small gap where it seemed the water was passing into based on the leaves that were being pulled by the current there.

He pointed the area to his companion, who had immediately gone to it and began pulling the rocks blocking it. Gajeel swam near her too and began helping. The more rocks they pulled the greater the current that was pulling the water out. It didn't take long for them to get all the rocks out of the way and letting themselves get pulled by the current too.

And then they were out!

Levy and Gajeel hurriedly swam to the side of the river. Both were amazingly alright and had survived their ordeal. Well, okay- alright, would've been a bit of an exaggeration considering, Levy was totally beyond that. She was in shock, not from the near death experience but from the cause of how they were able to escape it.

"He glows," she muttered, "His entire body glows in a weird blue light that makes him look even more attractive than usual. But he glows dammit! How does he glow? Is it a dragon thing? Or a skin condition? Why does he glow?!"

"Shrimp!" the Dragonslayer called her attention, making the shell shocked bluenette turn his way. "I don't just glow, okay?"

**(-)**

They were settled around a camp fire warming themselves and were sitting on a log, okay, well- Levy was sitting on a log while Gajeel sat on the glassy forest ground. He had her hand on his and was staring intently at them. Levy could not help but feel nervous at the young man's sudden concentrating look.

"Okay, um-what are you doing?" she asked to help ease her tension.

"What does it look like, Shrimp? I am concentrating on your magical energy source," he answered her.

"Um-why?"

"Because I need to in order for me to do what I am about to do next. Now, shut up."

"But why?"

"God! You just don't know how to keep that tarp of yers shut, can ya? All I'm asking is one fucking minute of silence and ya can't even grant me that? The hell is wrong with you?"

"Okay, okay. No need to snap! I'll shut up now!" she told him, trying to placate his angry outburst.

"Good."

He nodded in approval and, again, he took her hand and began concentrating. It didn't take him long to glow again and make the young script mage jump in surprise. She almost pulled out her hand from his but he had a very tight grip on her. She then realize that something was happening to her magic. She was recovering her lost energy and more! She felt that she was actually growing stronger the more Gajeel did whatever it was he was doing.

A few seconds of power boosting, the light her companion was emitting gradually diminished until it fully disappeared, leaving only him with the normal color of his skin.

He released her hand and stared at her with uncertainty. "Ha-how are you feeling?" he asked her suddenly sounding unsure of himself, which was quite the opposite of the Gajeel been with earlier.

"I-I'm surprisingly well," she answered politely, before finally breaking out of her haze and started asking the more important questions. "How did you do that?! No, what did you do?!" she asked immediately and a bit louder than she intended. She saw her companion flinch and shrink back from her, making her realized that she perhaps was pushing him too far for his liking. "Sorry," she immediately stated, and again surprising the young man. "I didn't mean to push you by asking too personal questions. I guess-I guess, you surprised me and well sort of peaked my curiosity but, hey! You don't really have to answer me! 'Cause it's totally none of my business and I think-"

"Shrimp, shut up," he told her out making her stop her senseless babble. She looked surprised but obeyed him nonetheless. He then took deep steady breaths before turning to the blue haired mage with another serious expression. "I'll answer all your questions-" She immediately opened her mouth again to start asking him but he stop her again before the words left his lips. "-but only if you ask them one at a time. Ya hear me?" She nodded eaferly. "Alright, now, ask yer question."

"What did you do?" was her very first question to the young Dragonslayer.

"I returned to ya the magical energy you lost from your earlier battles today," he answered.

"Yeah, I actually felt that you did that but you did something more to my magic than just restore them. I felt like they had somehow increased or something."

"Because they did-" was all he said, earning him another confused look from his companion.

**(-)**

Gajeel took another deep breath before finally revealing to her the full extent of his entire power. He told her about him not only being an Iron Dragonslayer but also having a secondary magic skill that had the ability to heal a person, restore and give them magical energy and increase their power. He even told her the story of when someone had attempted to take him away, by showing her a small part of his hair that was hidden underneath all the others, that was a shade lighter compared to his usual color of his long mane. It was metallic grey in color.

"When I was a baby, someone tried to take my powers away by taking some of my hair, it turned in this shade afterwards and this had been my reminder why I was never allowed to leave that place ever, because it was dangerous for me to stay outside 'cause of this gift or should I say-curse."

He turned away from the bluenette after his confession, unable to see what sort of reaction she'd give him after all those things that he had just said. He was certain that she'd now probably change her views of him, and he was afraid that she'd now start thinking of him as a thing that could be used, like every other human being in this world. Like how those dark guide mages probably saw him. His father once told him that if people did not first know about his gift, and he'd tell them about it, then they would most likely see him as an asset and would then try to use him for it.

" _No one will see you for who you are, son, only for what you can do_..." this was what father told him when he first asked the old man to let him come with him one time.

During that time he vowed to himself that if he would get out of that place he would never tell anyone of his gift, for his father's words rang heavily in his mind. And yet now he had told the Shrimp and he was worried about what she'd do with the information. He knew that he should try by now to escape her for it was the best time to do it while the girl was distracted by his revelation, but he couldn't get his legs or any part of him to function. For some reason, he wanted to know what the young woman would do with the information he had given her. For some reasons, he wanted to find out if this time she would fall under his father's expectations of the humans in the outside world.

But once again, like many other times since he had met her, she did the exact opposite of what his father taught him.

**(-)**

Levy felt her heart break for her companion. He had such an amazing power and yet he was force to hide it. Yes, she understood the reason behind it, but it didn't mean she agreed with it. She knew it must be hard for him to stay locked up behind those walls around that tower. If it had been her, she'd probably died of boredom or loneliness. But he stayed strong and kept dreaming that he would one day get to leave that place. He trained himself to be stronger and honed his other magic, his dragonslaying magic to be exact, into perfection. She was now certain that if given the opportunity he'd have shown her just how strong he was. Her admiration for him again grew and now it was coupled with deep seated affection caused by the knowledge of what he had experienced.

She stared at his companion and saw that he was looking away from her but his body was tensed as he waited for her reaction. She understood his behavior. She thought that it was probably hard on him to tell his secret to her. So she reached out her hand and grabbed hold of one if his larger ones yet again.

"I'm sorry," she said, not really knowing what else to say other than to tell him how she felt.

He looked startled as he looked down on their interlaced hands, before finally looking up at her face.

"Wa-what for?" he asked.

"For asking you to tell me the secret about your power... For everything you've been through because of that said power... For not finding you sooner and saving you from that tower... I'm not really certain why I am apologizing, it's just that I am. I feel that you needed someone to say these words to you, someone to prove to you that this world isn't as dark as your father made it out to be and also to prove that you had a very good reason to wait all these years."

The look of awe and admiration in his face made Levy's heart skip a beat. And it took every strength in her body to not fling herself to the young man in front of her.

She really needs to stop reading those racy romance books Erza leaves in her room. They were giving her bad ideas to get a guy to like her back.

She had been too busy with her inner monologue that he had almost missed what her companion was saying.

"-something, Shrimp. I don't think there's anyone like you in this world."

She didn't have to hear the first part of what he said to know that he was complimenting her again. She blushed, as she usually did when he complimented her, and felt that she didn't deserve such praises.

"I'm not that special, you know. You just haven't met anyone else to make a comparison to, that's all," she said feeling slightly embarrassed.

The serious look that crossed his face took her aback. "I don't need to compare you with anyone to know what an amazing woman you are," he told her as his ruby red eyes pierced through her own brown orbs.

"You really should stop flinging compliments like that. It will really get you unnecessary attention from the not so innocent minded people, idiot!" she yelled at him internally all while visibly she was blushing and was feeling guilty of her thoughts not being of the PG-rated variety. " _That's it! No more racy novels for you_!" she promised herself.

She coughed and released Gajeel's hand before suddenly standing up and straightening her orange dress and head band.

"Alright!" she then said before offering a hand to Gajeel. "I think we should now put all this serious talk behind us. You came here for the festival, right? Well, we better first make sure that that will still happen so we better get that crown back to the king."

He simply grunted in agreement before taking her hand and standing up.

The two mages then put out the fire they made and used Levy's Illuminate spell to light their way through the darkened forest. A few minutes of walking they finally reached a clearing and in that clearing came the view of the beautiful City of Magnolia. Levy smiled as she saw her companion openly gaping at the the city's magnificence. ( **A/N** :  _Since I suck at explaining what it would look like, I'll leave it to your imaginations what the place would look like. But just make sure that it'll look awesome and grand and stuff, with a lot of large Dragon sculptures that surrounds the entire place_.)

She nudged her companion and started walking towards the city gates.

**(-)**

Gajeel followed her while still looking amazed at what he was seeing. It was night time and yet the city's lights were all enough to illuminate the wonder of the place. As they neared the gates, he could hear how the city was still busting with life; calls from merchants selling their wares were easily picked up by his sensitive ears, that along with laughter from the patrons of what he thought of was a bar. He could hear music from every corner and it made his hands twitch and eager to grab hold of his guitar, which he had unfortunately left at home.

They passed the gates, after greeting the guards and informing them of going to see to the return of the crown, and continued their walk. He heard the shrimp tell him about them going to the palace and returning the crown first before they would head to her guild and introduce him to her other friends. He absentmindedly gave her his reply for he was busy looking at the gigantic fountain sculpture at the center of the plaza.

It was a dragon! A real life like image of a dragon.

He could tell by the scales and the tail and every other feature of the statue was on what it was and he couldn't help but be amazed by the details of it. It was like the actual real thing!

"That's king Metallicana, you know?" Levy pointed out.

"You mean the king of this land?" Gajeel asked his companion.

"Yup!" she answer with a popping "p" sound. "That's what he looked like before he turned himself human to marry Queen Lyla."

"She must be quite an amazing woman to be able to tame a dragon enough to get him to turn himself human fer her."

"She is. She was one of his Councillors. She was among the very few who would stand up against him when he would do something stupid that would endanger the kingdom. Their arguments were legendary because his Majesty would actually go on a fit each time they'd have a disagreement. The land would quake for days because of King Metallicana's magic seeping out of him and sometimes due to the fact he would take out his anger on inanimate objects like the trees or sometimes the mountains. While her Ladyship would be seen sparring with the palace guards and beating them to a bloodied pulp. It was quite a spectacle, or so it was said." She said as she approached the fountain with him.

"But when they weren't arguing, they were good friends. It didn't take long for his Highness to become fond of her and she of him, that fondness fueled their love until the king finally told her so and they married." She looked dreamy all of a sudden.

"But he was still a dragon at the time, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, he was. So they never consummated their marriage until his Majesty found a way to turn himself human."

"That must've been hard for them," Gajeel said while inspecting the material that made up the fountain.

"Not really. Intimacy wasn't really what brought them together in the first place. It was their friendship, and they were both willing to wait until the time his Highness found a way to turn himself human," she told him, but she found that he was no longer listening.

Gajeel was found studying the make up of the fountain with great concentration. Apparently he found out that it was actually made out of real iron; shiny, smooth iron that for some reason wasn't rusting despite how it had been submerged in water.

"That's his Majesty's iron. His Magesty would shed his skin once every decade and since the people had no idea what to do with the sheddings they decided to use them make some of the artistic ornaments surrounding the kingdom."

"This one is used as a fountain. How come it ain't rusting?" he asked her.

"A real dragon's iron do not rust," she answered while she took his arm and started leading him away from the fountain to their original direction.

"Huh, that's convenient. My iron isn't that sturdy."

"Oh, that's right! You're an iron dragonslayer. Hmm, I've been wondering how you were able to be one, I mean, I thought Iron Dragons were extinct and its hard to get the lacrima of such dragons."

"Lacrima? What are you talking about."

"A lacrima. A small spherical shaped stone with the powers of the Iron Dragon embedded from within it and installed inside your body? Isn't that the source of your magic?" She gave him a confused look. "Why doesn't he know what a lacrima is?" she thought at the same time.

"As far as I know there ain't anything installed or implanted inside me for me to have this magic. I was born with Dragonslaying magic," he told her.

Levy's eyes widened as she heard this. "B-b-but only First-class dragonslayers get born with dragonslaying magic!" she exclaimed.

"Then I guess I'm a First-class dragonslayer!" he announced proudly only to be disputed by the petite mage.

"No, you can't be. Only a mage born from a dragon can get First-class dragonslaying magic! So unless both or one of your parents was a dragon, then you can't be one!"

"Really?"

She nodded in reply.

Gajeel paused at this. This was new information to him and he wasn't sure what to do with it. On one hand, he could simply accept that he wasn't a First-class dragonslayer and consider the idea that his own father stuck some weird stone inside him without his knowledge, or he could carry on with the idea of being a First-class dragonslayer and try to play with the concept of one of his parent, most likely his mother, was actually a dragon!

He took the third option and decided to think about the question for a later date. And instead told his companion that they continue with their journey in returning the crown.

**(-)**

After several minutes of travelling, Levy and her companion had finally reached the main gates of the royal palace. They were then immediately halted by the gates. After identifying herself though, they were hurriedly admitted inside.

As they were escorted within the inner chambers of the castle, Levy could not help but enjoy the look of amazement that crossed her companion's face. She knew that he was indeed having the time of his life and she was happy that she was the one to bring that to him.

Learning about his past, only served to encourage the young script mage to try her hardest to make sure that her raven haired companion would experience the most out of this little adventure of his. She promised to herself make sure that he would not only get to fulfill his dream but also he would get to come home with no regrets after everything. She'll make certain that he'd experience everything there is to experience in this festival and learn everything he'd want to know about the outside world.

This was his journey and she was gonna make sure he'd get the most out of it. She made a small vow that by the end of this journey, she'd be able to make Gajeel the happiest man alive.

"Levy!" the gentle voice of a woman interrupted the bluenette's internal musing.

The young Fairy Tail mage looked at the direction of the voice and found that it had belonged to the Queen herself, Lady Lyla.

"You're Highness! You're here!" Levy exclaimed in surprise, before giving the queen a short curtsey.

"Of course, I'd be here! I wanted to see personally the young mage who is responsible for the return of what remained of my precious son!" the young woman said with a sad smile.

"And here I thought you were here to see the face of the one responsible of losing the object of which you speak," the bluenette joked.

The queen let out a gentle laugh, before smiling at the young mage.

"Now, none of that, my dear. I know for a fact that you and your companions neither intended nor were responsible for the crown's disappearance," the queen gentle scolded.

Levy smiled shyly at the older woman's kindness and consideration. She knew for a fact that she and her teammates were indeed responsible for getting the crown stolen and yet the woman in front of her seemed to not hold her responsible for anything that had happened. It even seemed that she was grateful that she was able to get the thing back.

She could not think on any words to offer the kind queen, so she opted to down to her in show of her appreciation.

"Arigatou gosaimasu!" was all she could think to say.

"Ara, ara, Levy-chan, no need for that," she heard her say, "Raise that head of yours, young lady, because I truly think that such gestures are unnecessary."

"But-" Levy tried to explain why she felt so grateful towards the woman, but she had cut her off, by asking her about her companion.

The bluenette jumped at the question. She had totally forgotten about her companion. She sneaked a quick look at him and was surprised to see a confused look on his face as he eyed the woman in front of him.

"Umm-your Magesty, a-allow me to introduce my travelling companion, Gajeel. I'm sort of showing him around so he can enjoy the festival tomorrow. We're sort of-" but Levy stopped her words as she saw that the woman she was talking to hadn't been listening to her. In fact, it seemed she was far more interested in her companion than what she was saying. "Umm-is there a problem, your Highness?"

"Huh? Oh, yes! I mean-it is a pleasure to meet you, Gajeel-kun," the queen said gently. But Levy swore that she heard a slight croak in the woman's voice.

Her companion simply grunted in reply, his eyes not leaving the queen's though. His piercing red gaze studying the woman's features. For some reasons, Levy thought that he looked like he knew the queen but couldn't place a finger on where he met her.

The same could be said for her Majesty. She was staring at Gajeel and her emerald eyes were also studying him. Although, her expressions were ones of sadness, longingness, hopefulness and uncertainty. All were emotions that the young script mage had never seen the older woman dawn.

She felt uncomfortable watching the two of them stare at each other. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was interrupting something special by being there with them. Although she couldn't place what that something was exactly. But the feeling was there nonetheless.

Another minute passed and Levy knew she had to say something. Luckily for her, she was saved when a guard came up to them and informed the queen that she was needed elsewhere.

Levy saw the reluctance in the older woman's features. It was obvious that she didn't want to leave. But the guard had been insistent of the importance of the queen's presence being there, so didn't have a choice.

"I'm sorry to leave before I can repay you, Levy-chan," she addressed her finally. "But worry not. Tomorrow evening. I implore you to join the grand banquet that will be held in the evening."

This surprised the young mage. She had heard of the said banquet and knew that only the most special individuals in the kingdom get invited to the said event. Levy immediately felt honored by the invitation. She thank the queen, before she watched at the woman once again addressed her companion.

"I ask that you join too, Gajeel-kun," she said, surprised both mages at the same time.

"I don't thi-" he started, looking like he was about to refuse the offer.

But the queen cut him off. "Please. I beg that you join. I truly wish to introduce you to my husband. I am certain that he would very much would like to meet you!" The urgency in her words had startled Levy and her companion, but at the same time it was also able to make Gajeel change his mind and reconsider the invitation. A smile immediate graced the queen's lips as she heard the answer. "I will be waiting expectantly for you then," she said as she left to follow the guard.

The two mages were then left to stare at the direction that the queen left. Both dawned a confuse look on their faces. Both were confused as to what just happened. And Levy couldn't help but voice out such confusion.

"What they heck?" she uttered, surprising her rave head companion out of his thoughts. "What just happened?"

"Looks like I just got us invited to eat at the palace tomorrow night, shrimp," he told him with a smug expression.

"Seriously? I was wondering more along the lines of what just happened between you and her Majesty? What was with those long studying stares that you two shared between one another?" she asked. "Also for the record. I got us the invite, considering I was the one who returned the crown."

Her companion shrugged. "The hell if I know why she was looking at me that way. I, on the other hand, was simply starin' at her cause I thought I knew the damn woman from somewhere," he answered her. "And as for your little claims on being the one who got us invited, should I remind you that I helped you protect that crown from those mages by the dam, Shorty?"

"For the last time! Stop calling me height related nicknames!" Levy yelled, before composing herself and going back to the topic at hand. "But on the hand, where did you think you met the queen? I thought you said you've been living on that tower in all your life."

"Gihehe. Not a chance on those nicknames, short stacks. They're too fun to let go. As for the part of your queen-well, I did say that I thought I knew her not that I knew her. Big difference!"

Levy shook her head and smiled indulgently at her companion. She had right then and there decided to let the issue go. There didn't seemed to be a point for her to continue asking about what happened considering that her companion looked uncomfortable with her line of questions. So instead she decided to tell him that they were now heading out of the castle and back to the city.

"We can head over to my guild. We have guests rooms available there so we can stay and rest there until tomorrow. An then first thing in the morning, we will head around town and show you exactly what the Dragon Festival is!" she told him enthusiastically.

**(-)**

Gajeel could not help but gawk at the large structure in front of him.

It was huge!

The guild that the shrimp had taken him was very big and practically looked like a castle ( **A/N:** _just look at the FT building after it was repaired after the GMG_ ). Heck, if the dragonslayer hadn't already been to the palace just a few minutes ago, he would've thought that this was the castle of Fiore. The place was just too big to hold one guild.

"Technically, aside from being the home of our guild, it's also a very well known inn and resort. One of the simple businesses that our guild had ventured to, which is why it's this big!" his blue-haired companion answered him as if reading his mind.

He looked down at her, before looking back up at the building itself. A whistle escaped his lips, as he opted to simply admire the building itself.

"Your guild's pretty weird, shrimp. A Bar-resto outside of town? A Inn and Resort? Are you guys really a wizard guild or is that just a name for you?" he asked, slightly teasing her companion.

The petite mage glared at her companion. She never really liked it when people spoke badly about her guild, no matter if the said people just happened to not know anything about her guild in the first place. And so she thought to herself that she had to correct these views.

"Yes, we are a Wizard Guild. It is just that some of our members are just really innovative that they ventured to other businesses so we won't waste resources. And as you can see-" she gestured at the building in front of them. "Having the second biggest building throughout of Magnolia and not use it as anything else but house members of one guild is a waste of resources!"

"Gihee, I was only messing with you, shrimp. I did kind of guessed why you would turn the place into such things. I was just playing with you since you really do look cute when you're pissed," he stated after listening to her, his lips grinning down at the young script mage.

His grin widened as he saw his companion's face grow redder than before. He really liked her like this. He wasn't certain why but every time he saw the shrimp's flustered face, made him feel happy inside. It was strange feeling, but not unwelcomed.

"Ooh, shut up," she muttered as she walked ahead of him to enter the establishment.

A chuckled escaped his lips as he followed the other mage towards the establishment.

They entered the gates and walked straight to the guild's large double door entrance. He wondered briefly if they would have to do some secret knock to enter the building, but his eyes suddenly widened when his companion instead flung the huge double doors opened all on her own.

She really is stronger than she looks. He thought as he stared down at her in amazement.

"Everyone, I'm back!" his companion announced to the occupants of what seemed like a very huge hall.

"Levy-chan, welcome back!" the crowd announced back.

It didn't take long before a large group of people began to approach the young script mage, telling her how happy they were that she was alright. Gajeel even recognized some of the mages that approached her, seeing as they were the same mages they had met earlier at the pub-resto who were sent to find his companion. The iron dragonslayer allowed the shrimp to have her moment of fame, even though it was obvious that once again she had completely forgotten that he was with her.

"And who is this?" a very short, very older looking man asked his companion asked looking up and studying him.

"Ah! Master! This is Gajeel. He's my friend and I am taking him around to see the festival tomorrow!" his blue haired companion explained, "Gajeel, this is Master Makarov, my guildmaster."

"I see," the man stated as he gave the young dark haired mage a critical look that made the you by man nevous for some reason. A minute passed before a smile broke down on the older man's face. "It's god to meet you then, Gajeel-kun," he said offering his hand to the dragonslayer.

"Uh-yeah, likewise," was his reply as he took the shorter man's hand in his own and gave it a firm shake.

After shaking the dragonslayer's hand, the master looked back on his blue haired companion.

"Levy-chan, I assume you were successful in returning the crown?" he asked in a serious tone.

His companion beamed at the old man and answered with a proud "yes, master".

A loud clap resound from the old man before he turned to face the people inside the guild.

"Looks like the festival will happen tomorrow, kids!" he shouted earning a loud cheer from the crowd. He then turned back to Levy. "Good work, my dear. Go on and have fun with everyone else," he told her before turning again to face Gajeel. "You too, young man. Join in the festivities and I hope you and Levy will enjoy yourselves tomorrow." And with that he left the pair and walked towards the bar.

**(-)**

The entire evening went smoothly for the two, well as smoothly as it could go for a rowdy guild like Fairy Tail. Although, twice, Levy had to pull Gajeel away from a barfight. The first one was instigated by Natsu while the second one was started by her two teammates, Jet and Droy, who for some reason hated Gajeel when she introduced him to them. At the third time, she finally gave up and allowed her companion to have fun and join the ongoing barfight between Natsu, Gray and Elfman.

She couldn't help but laugh as she remembered how surprised everyone had been when her companion told them that he was an iron dragonslayer. Natsu practically jumped at the opportunity to challenge her friend. Luckily Erza was there to limit the fight from getting too out of hand by reprimanding the fire dragonslayer and giving him a short lecture on entertaining guests.

So aside from those things, nothing much happened to the two mages. Levy simply stayed in the sidelines and watched as Gajeel fought with Elfman and Jet, who joined the fight. She smiled as she saw the look on her friend's face.

" _He really is enjoying himself._ " She thought. " _Too bad after tomorrow, you'll have to bring him home to that cursed tower of his_." The other voice in her head reminded her.

Her heart tightened at the thought. She knew she was gonna be taking him home once all of this was over, but the thought of doing so made Levy feel very sad.

"Hey, shrimp!" She jumped before glaring at the dark haired mage, who was plaguing her thoughts na few seconds ago.

"Gajeel, how many times have I told you? Stop calling me height related names!" she said, willing away both her sad feelings and the embarrassment of jumping.

"Just as many times as I keep saying that I ain't doin' it 'cause it's too fun to let go, Gihehe," he replied.

Levy sighed before asking, "What are you doing here, Gajeel? I thought you were busy fighting with Natsu and the others."

"I was, then Drawfman over there stepped on red's cake and the freaky woman started rampaging. I mean, I liked that fight, but I know when to avoid a nutcase when I see one," he told her as he eyed the group that Erza was directing her anger at.

"Well, I guess that's understandable," she said also looking at Erza using Natsu as her weapon to hit the remaining barfighters. She winced as she saw her fling the fire dragonslayer to the ceiling.

Then from the corner of her eye, she saw her companion struggling to hold a yawn. It immediately dawned to her that they had had a long day and her friend was starting to feel the effects of this.

After giving herself a silent scolding for not noticing her companion's fatigue sooner, Levy immediately suggested that they turned in for the night.

"We can stay in one of the rooms here in the guild, that way we can immediately take a tour around town immediately after we would wake up," she told him excitedly.

"Sure. It's yer call, Shorty."

Levy ignored the nickname and instead approached Lisanna to book a room for her and Gajeel. She did not fail to notice the look the young take over mage had when she mentioned that she and Gajeel were staying for the night. A sense of impending doom dawn upon her as the woman's sister approached them.

"Levy-chan, sorry but all the single rooms are already taken. We have no choice but to book you two in a couple's room," Mira, the white haired demon take over mage, told her with a smile.

"Mira-san-" Levy started to argue but was cut off as Lisanna gave Gajeel the room key.

"I'm heading to our room first, Shrimp. Wanna take a shower before I turn in for the night," Gajeel said as he left the gapping bluenette in her wake.

"Well, sweet dreams then!" Mira and Lisanna told the dragonslayer.

Levy simply glared at the two sisters before stomping to follow her travel companion.

"I feel a new couple will blossom after tonight, Mira-nee," Lisanna told her sister once the script mage was a few out of sight.

"I feel the same thing too, Lisanna," was the beautiful barmaid's reply.

**(-)**

Gajeel got out of the shower feeling clean and fresh. He was quite happy that the room they booked had all the necessities one needs to get cleaned after a hard day, like he had. They even got extra clothes for the guests to borrow.

The dragonslayer had just finished drying his hair and was putting on a white shirt when he finally exited the bathroom.

"Alright, shorty, your tur-" he stopped, the sight of his companion sleeping on the large queen size bed, already dead to the happenings around her. "Gihe, should've said earlier you were tired, short stuff," he muttered softly as he properly tucked in her friend by removing her slippers and putting a blanket on top of her.

Gajeel paused for a moment and admired the petite woman before him. The same woman who not only allowed his dream to be made possible, but also who changed his entire world view in a day. She was special, that much he was certain, and he knew that he wanted to spend more time with her, even after tomorrow.

"Wish I could get dad to agree with that," he said as he gently brushed a stray hair from her face.

"Agree with what, Gajeel-kun?" A voice resounded from behind him.

The dragonslayer immediately turned and was surprised to find his father appearing from the shadows of the room.

"Dad! How did you-"

"Find you? Well, I simply followed the horrid smell of shame and betrayal," the man said, anger was evident in his voice.

The young man flinched at his father's words before turning to check if it had awoken his sleeping companion.

"Come, son, we're going home."

He stiffened at his father's words and tensed as he felt him grab his wrist. Dread filled his heart as he felt that his father's magic was about to be used to teleport them away and quite possibly back to his tower prison.

"Dad, wait-" he said softly. But his words fell to deaf's ears.

"We'll go home and forget all this even happened. I'll even strengthen the walls, better yet I think it high time we left that place and find somewhere bett-"

"No!" he stated more firmly before pulling his hand from his old man's and stepping away from his father's shadow magic.

"No? What do you mean no, Gajeel-kun?" gone was hix father's loving voice and was replaced by something almost sinister.

Gajeel gulped. He had never heard his old man talk like that. But he shrugged it off as him being upset that he was disobeying the man's wishes. He took a deep breath before giving him his explanation.

"No, dad. I'm not going home just yet." Jose's face grew red in anger at his "son's" refusal. He was about to blow but Gajeel stopped him. "Please don't be mad! Dad, just listen."

His "son's" pleading voice made him pause. He turned his attention to the young woman sleeping on the bed then back to his son who was explaning to him how the world wasn't as bad as he portrayed it to be. He sighed. He had two choices, he could simply take "his boy" home by force and suffer the nuisance of his tantrum. Or he could do something, particularly on the blue haired fairy who was the real reason that started all this, that will make the boy regret leaving his side.

An evil smile graced his lips as he decided which of the two options he decided to take.

"You don't have to worry anymore. I can take care-"

" _So Gajeel knows best now_..." he started, his "son" groaning at his words.

Gajeel looked pleadingly at his old man while constantly checking if his companion had woken up by their conversation. Fortunately she hasn't stirred even a bit, although, he was uncertain if that would remain so since his old man was in his singing moods again.

" _Gajeel, knows best. Gajeel's all grown up now. Thinking he is very strong_!"

"Dad, can't we just talk without the singing?" he whispered trying to get his father to stop.

But Jose wasn't done. The man started twirling around the room. " _Gajeel, knows best. He can care of himself now! Time to say goodbye from home_!"

"I didn't say I wasn't coming back home!"

His old man then suddenly stops, just right at the foot of Levy's bed.

"Wish it was easy, boy, but the world isn't that kind. And those who want to do you harm will go through people you care. Are you strong enough to protect them?" this was said instead of sung and the grim tone in his father's voice sent shivers down the dragonslayer's spine.

Gajeel turned his attention to Levy in alarm.

" _And if that day come, you'll come running and I will say I told you so!_ " Jose moved away from the bed and back to the shadowly part of the room. " _Daddyyy! Knows best!_ "

Jose disappeared into the shadows leaving no trace that he was ever there. Gajeel stood there, uncertain on what to do. Part of him was happy that his father had let him stay. But a greater part of him was worried by the words his father left him with. He turned back from the wall his father disappeared to to his sleeping companion who hadn't even moved despite all the singing and dancing his old man did.

The Shrimp proved to him that the world wasn't dark and filled with evil. There were a lot of goodness too and she was one of them. But his father's words still rung true. Evil still existed and they would still go after him because of his magic.

Was he strong enough to protect the Shrimp from that?

He sighed deeply and decided not to think too much about it. His father had allowed him to stay and the Dragon festival was tomorrow. He should be happy by this fact. And he was...

He just couldn't deny that he was worried as well.

This thoughts plagued the dragonslayer's mind even after he was laying on the bed beside the Shrimp. Luckily for him, sleep finally came to him and took his thoughts away from the fear of someone hurting Levy to get through to him.

**TBC**

**(-)**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was that! Hope you enjoyed it! Also Jose's singing had to be there, even though I added too many lines from the original song. Heh. But anyway, hoped you guys liked it, if you did or didn't let me know. Reviews always make my day, so don't be afraid to leave some for me! Thanks again for reading and hope to see you all on the next chapter!
> 
> Next chapter: The dragon festival, Lily returns to the scene, Phantom mages evil plot, fighting and, of course, a few Gajevy scenes that I couldn't resist including!
> 
> Hope that's enough to peak your interest to continue reading! Thanks again and see you all in the next chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Gihee! Finally done for the first chapter! What do you think, did I do okay? Hope you've enjoyed it and saw how different it has from the original 'Tangled' movie. If you think I overdone, said, or made something in this story that you don't approve, tell me about it. If ya like the story tell me why. I'd appreciate constractive reviews and suggestions, just don't flame me.
> 
> Next chapter Levy's arrival and Jose's evil schemes! Stay tune...


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